Inmate Legal Activities

PS 1315.08 (5/7/2026) · Official PDF on bop.gov →

How legal work actually happens inside: the law library (now electronic, on the TRULINCS terminals), the stand-alone computers for reviewing your own e-discovery, attorney visits, and what survives a trip to the SHU. If someone is still fighting their case from inside, this is the policy that governs the tools they get. And when access gets denied, the lever is the grievance system, PS 1330.18.

A local supplement almost certainly applies Wardens issue institution supplements to fill in whatever national policy leaves up to the facility, and this is one of the policies they supplement most often. What's below is the national floor. The supplement is the version staff actually work from day to day: the hours, the limits, the forms, the local exceptions. It can't contradict the policy below, but it can be far more specific than anything on this page, and it's usually where the rule you can't find here lives. No supplements are posted on this site yet. They're written facility by facility and the BOP doesn't publish them in one place, so they go up as I get current copies. Until then, the person inside can ask their unit team for the institution supplement to PS 1315.08, usually numbered with the facility's code in front of it and kept in the law library. The facility's Facebook group is the other place people find out what the local version says.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES (EXCERPT)

Program Statement Rescinded: 1315.07, CN-1 Legal Activities, Inmate (8/1/2023)

Changes:

Incorporates Change Notice 1315.07, CN-1, addressing alternative legal access arrangements and notification of visiting disruption when a significant or disruptive event affects legal and/or social visiting.

Eliminates requirement to maintain physical law libraries. Law library materials are now available to inmates via an electronic law library (ELL). This change eliminates Attachments A, B, and C, which are replaced by a list of resources in the ELL maintained on the Information Technology and Data Division (ITDD) page of the Bureau’s intranet site.

Creates BP-A1155, E-Discovery Material Authorization form.

Eliminates attachments D, E, and F, as they are available on the form directory page of the Bureau’s intranet site.

Provides guidance on inmate access to discovery material produced in their criminal case in electronic format (e-discovery), and guidance on Bureau provided stand-alone computers that allow review of e-discovery material.

Bureau regulations regarding attorney visits were amended by an interim final rule published in 89 Fed. Reg. 8330 (Feb. 7, 2024). Those changes are incorporated in Section 7.

Adds guidance addressing enforcement of the dress code for legal visitors.

Provides guidance on use of laptops during legal visits.

Clarifies the procedures for admission of legal assistants for legal visitation and who qualifies as a “legal assistant.” Provides guidance for attorney requests to allow an attorney retained expert to visit with an inmate.

Provides guidance on legal visits for individuals on suicide watch or psychological observation.

SECTION 1: § 543.10 PURPOSE AND SCOPE (EXCERPT)

The Bureau of Prisons affords an inmate reasonable access to legal materials and counsel, and reasonable opportunity to prepare legal documents. The Warden shall establish an inmate law library, and procedures for access to legal reference materials and to legal counsel, and for preparation of legal documents.

a. Program Objectives.

■ Inmates will have reasonable access to legal research material and the opportunity to prepare legal documents.

■ Inmates will have reasonable access to legal visits.

■ Attorneys and their legal assistants will have reasonable opportunity to access their clients in Bureau custody.

■ Inmates and staff will be able to make oaths and affirmations and have them witnessed by institution Case Managers, as authorized by 18 U.S.C. § 4004.

SECTION 2: ELECTRONIC LAW LIBRARIES (EXCERPT)

All Bureau institutions will maintain electronic law libraries (ELL) containing materials listed on the ITDD page of the Bureau’s intranet site. Inmates may access the ELL on the TRULINCS computer system. TRULINCS workstations are ordinarily located in housing units, Special Housing Units (SHU), the Education Department, and other locations deemed appropriate by the Warden.

The ITDD in Central Office will maintain the ELL content and database. Each institution is responsible for maintaining the workstations and ensuring that ELL workstations are functioning and accessible for inmate use.

Each institution must have print stations that allow inmates to print material from the ELL. For additional information, see the Program Statement Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual.

Inmates who demonstrate a requirement to meet an imminent court deadline, ordinarily within 30 days, may be allowed additional time to conduct legal research on the ELL. If additional time is needed, the inmate should submit a request to their Unit Management team.

Access to ELL workstations should be available as soon as practicable following a lockdown or other disruptive event that results in loss of access to ELL workstations.

SECTION 5: § 543.11 LEGAL RESEARCH AND PREPARATION OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS (EXCERPT)

In accordance with the Program Statement Information Security, inmates may receive electronic discovery (e-discovery) material pertaining to their own case which is necessary for ongoing criminal proceedings, for ongoing federal civil proceedings where e-discovery is required, or in cases where there are special circumstances necessitating the use of e-discovery. If there is a question about whether there are special circumstances necessitating the use of e-discovery, the Regional Counsel may be consulted.

E-discovery material may only be accepted from the inmate’s attorney or a U.S. Attorney’s Office and must be read-only format. Attorneys seeking to provide e-discovery to an inmate must obtain prior approval from the Warden or their designee and must complete and submit the BP-A1155, E-Discovery Material Authorization form. This form may be tailored locally. Electronic formats include external hard drives and USB thumb drives. The e-discovery media may be on a hard drive storage device or USB drive. Compact discs (CDs) and Digital Video Discs (DVDs) are not authorized. Each institution will develop procedures describing how legal representatives may request authorization to send e-discovery to an inmate, how it may be sent to the inmate, and how that e-discovery will be maintained at the facility.

Approved e-discovery media may only contain discovery material in a criminal case, in an ongoing federal civil proceeding where e-discovery is required, or in other cases presenting special circumstances requiring the use of e-discovery. Prohibited data includes but is not limited to pornography, nudity, personal photos, personal communications from third parties, games, movies, music, executable programs such as readers, password protection/security suites, and viruses. The e-discovery media is subject to external search and scanning for viruses and malware. Staff may not read the content and copying is prohibited. If staff discover that the device includes prohibited data, the sending attorney will be contacted to resolve the issue which may include returning the device to the sending attorney for corrective action.

There are two categories of e-discovery material:

1. Normal Access E-Discovery (NAE-D). This is discovery material that an inmate may possess when not actively viewing it and the material does not pose an unacceptable risk if viewed or accessed by others. This is the default category of e-discovery access and should be the more common way for an inmate to receive and access e-discovery.

2. Sensitive Access E-Discovery (SAE-D). SAE-D refers to e-discovery materials that cannot be in the inmate’s possession except during active viewing and must be reviewed in a private, secure area. These materials pose an unacceptable risk if viewed or accessed by others. SAE-D is ordinarily subject to a protective or discovery order. If the material is not subject to a protective order, the sending attorney must submit an explanation to justify categorizing the discovery material as SAE-D. The media containing SAE-D material must be secured by staff when not in use. The submitting attorney is responsible for marking such materials as SAE-D.

All e-discovery media must be handled in a manner which prevents unauthorized access. Each inmate is responsible for securing their approved e-discovery media in their assigned locker when not being reviewed. For security and housekeeping reasons, Wardens may require approved e-discovery media to be stored by an appropriate department when not being reviewed. Because e-discovery material may contain sensitive information that could affect the inmate’s security and privacy, inmates should not permit other inmates to view or have access to this material.

All Bureau institutions are allocated stand-alone computers for inmates to review e-discovery material. A list of formats supported by the discovery computers is available on the Bureau’s public webpage. Discovery computers should be positioned in a manner that allows opportunity to view the material in a confidential setting to the greatest extent practicable.

SECTION 5: § 543.11 LEGAL RESEARCH AND PREPARATION OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS (EXCERPT)

(g) The institution staff shall, upon an inmate's request and at times scheduled by staff, duplicate legal documents if the inmate demonstrates that more than one copy must be submitted to court and that the duplication cannot be accomplished by use of carbon paper. The inmate shall bear the cost, and the duplication shall be done so as not to interfere with regular institution operations. Staff may waive the cost if the inmate is without funds or if the material to be duplicated is minimal, and the inmate's requests for duplication are not large or excessive.

In such cases, staff may request the inmate follow procedures for reimbursement for the amount of legal copies received at the government’s expense. Inmates must complete the paper version of the BP-199 (“green form”) and submit the form for processing to Trust Fund through their Unit Manager. To prevent abuses of this provision (e.g., inmate shows a pattern of depleting their commissary funds prior to requesting duplication of legal documents) the Warden may impose restrictions on the provisions of subsection (g).

(h) Unless clearly impractical, the Warden shall allow an inmate preparing legal documents to use a typewriter, or, if the inmate cannot type, to have another inmate type his documents. The Warden may allow the inmate to hire a public stenographer to type documents outside the institution, but the institution may not assume the expense of hiring the public stenographer. Staff shall advise the inmate of any delay in the typing of which they have received notice from the stenographer.

(i) The Warden shall give special time allowance for research and preparation of documents to an inmate who demonstrates a requirement to meet an imminent court deadline. Otherwise, each inmate shall continue his regular institutional activities without undue disruption by legal activities.

Inmates who request time to do legal research and preparation for filing legal documents during their regularly scheduled work time may be required to do so first during all available leisure time. When such requests are made, staff may also authorize the inmate to work reduced hours. For example, an inmate may be allowed mornings to do legal research, work in the afternoons, and then use evenings for further research. The Regional Counsel may be consulted regarding such arrangements.

(j) With consideration of the needs of other inmates and the availability of staff and other resources, the Warden shall provide an inmate confined in disciplinary segregation or administrative detention a means of access to legal materials, along with an opportunity to prepare legal documents. The Warden shall allow an inmate in segregation or detention a reasonable amount of personal legal materials. In no case shall the amount of personal legal materials be such as to pose a fire, sanitation, security, or housekeeping hazard.

A reasonable amount of personal legal material in segregation or detention is approximately one cubic foot. Greater amounts may be allowed when an inmate has an imminent court deadline.

The Regional Counsel should be consulted before the accumulation of legal materials is limited for housekeeping reasons.

SECTION 6: § 543.12 RETENTION OF ATTORNEYS (EXCERPT)

(a) The Warden shall allow an inmate to contact and retain attorneys. With the written consent of the inmate, staff may advise an attorney of the inmate's available funds. Staff may not interfere with selection and retention of attorneys if the inmate has attained majority and is mentally competent. If the inmate is a mental incompetent or a minor, the Warden shall refer to the inmate's guardian or to the appropriate court all matters concerning the retention and payment of attorneys.

The Warden must ensure that a list of legal resources, including attorneys acting pro bono or through an established legal aid program at the institution, is made available.

(b) The Bureau of Prisons may not act as guarantor or collector of fees. As to correspondence with attorneys and telephone calls to attorneys, see part 540 of this chapter.

Part 540 refers to the Program Statements Correspondence and Inmate Telephone Regulations.

SECTION 7: § 543.13 VISITS BY ATTORNEYS (EXCERPT)

(a) The Warden shall, under the conditions of this section, permit visits by the retained, appointed, or prospective attorney of an inmate or by an attorney who wishes to interview an inmate as a witness.

(b) The Warden generally may not limit the frequency of attorney visits since the number of visits necessary is dependent upon the nature and urgency of the legal problems involved. The Warden shall set the time and place for visits, which ordinarily take place during regular visiting hours. Attorney visits shall take place in a private conference room, if available, or in a regular visiting room in an area and at a time designed to allow a degree of privacy. The Warden may make exceptions according to local conditions or for an emergency situation demonstrated by the inmate or visiting attorney.

Alternative Legal Access Arrangements. To ensure inmates have access to legal counsel as soon as it is safely possible after a significant or disruptive event at a facility exceeds 24 hours, each facility will develop alternative legal access arrangements. These plans may include, but are not limited to, alternative visiting locations at the facility, expansion of normal visiting hours, and any additional procedures consistent with the mission and security of the facility. Restriction of legal access should occur only when necessary to protect the safety and security of staff, inmates, or the public.

Notification of Visiting Disruption. In instances where there is a significant or disruptive event affecting the conditions of confinement and institution management decides to restrict legal access and/or social visiting, staff must make all reasonable efforts to notify all known parties affected by the disruption. This includes, but is not limited to inmate families, defense counsel, local courts, and the public. For facilities housing pretrial inmates, such notice must also be made to the local Federal Public Defender Office(s), the local United States District Court(s), and the local United States Attorney’s Office(s). This information can be transmitted via telephone, email, or listed on the Institution’s webpage.

To the extent practicable, staff are to provide an area for attorney-client visits that ensures their conversation has a high degree of privacy.

Source: PS 1315.08 (5/7/2026), bop.gov/policy/progstat/1315_008.pdf. U.S. government work, public domain. Excerpts only; the official PDF controls.

Big 2026 change: the physical law library is gone. Legal research is now done on computers, the 'electronic law library,' accessed through the TRULINCS system. If your mental picture of prison is a guy with a stack of law books, update it. It's screens now.

Another new one, and it matters a lot for anyone still fighting their case: the policy now lays out how you get access to your own e-discovery (the electronic evidence in your criminal case) on special stand-alone computers inside. Modern cases come with terabytes of digital discovery, and this is how a defendant reviews it while locked up. Covered in detail below.

The core promise of this whole policy: you get reasonable access to legal materials, to your lawyer, and to time and tools to prepare documents. 'Reasonable' is the operative word and it's the source of most disputes. If access is being denied outright, that's a problem you can push on, including through the grievance system.

The electronic law library lives on the same TRULINCS terminals used for email, and the workstations are in the housing units, the SHU, and education. So even someone in the SHU (solitary) is supposed to have a path to legal materials. Practically, terminal time is shared and can get tight.

You can print what you find, and if you've got a real court deadline coming (roughly within 30 days), you can ask your unit team for extra research time. That deadline-based extra time is a right worth invoking. If someone inside is up against a filing date, they should put the request in writing to the unit team, not just hope for the best.

How e-discovery actually gets in: your attorney (or the U.S. Attorney's office) sends it on a read-only drive or thumb drive, using the authorization form, and the facility scans it for viruses and prohibited content. You can't just have someone mail you a hard drive of files. It comes through your lawyer, on approved media, and it can only contain the discovery, nothing else.

Your e-discovery comes in two flavors. Normal access is the default, you keep the drive in your locker and view it on the discovery computer. Sensitive access is for material under a protective order or that's risky if others see it (think victim info, cooperator material); that stays locked up with staff and you only view it in a private setting. If your case has sensitive discovery, expect the tighter handling. Your attorney marks which is which.

A real safety point: don't let other inmates see your discovery. It can contain information (who cooperated, victim details, the government's theory) that can get someone hurt inside if it circulates. This is your file, keep it to yourself. The policy flags it as a security and privacy risk for good reason.

Need copies for court? Staff will duplicate legal documents, you normally pay for it, but they can waive the cost if you're broke or it's just a few pages. So being out of money doesn't stop you from getting court copies made. If someone's account is empty and they've got a filing due, the copy fee can be waived.

A deadline can get your work schedule adjusted. If you've got a court date bearing down, the prison is supposed to give you extra time, even letting you work reduced hours to make room for legal prep. Normally legal work happens on your own leisure time, but a real deadline changes that. Document the deadline and ask.

Even in the SHU (solitary), you don't lose access to your legal work. You're allowed a reasonable amount of your own legal materials, about a cubic foot's worth, and more if you have an imminent deadline. So getting sent to segregation doesn't legally cut you off from working your case, though in practice it's slower and harder.

You have the right to find and hire your own lawyer, and staff can't interfere with that choice. The prison also has to make available a list of legal resources, including pro bono attorneys and legal aid. If someone inside needs counsel and can't afford it, that resource list is a starting point. Note the BOP won't act as a middleman for paying or collecting attorney fees, that's between you and the lawyer.

Attorney visits aren't rationed like social visits. The prison generally can't cap how often your lawyer comes, because that depends on the case, and these visits are supposed to happen with real privacy, ideally in a private conference room. This is a meaningful difference from regular visiting: legal visits get more frequency and more confidentiality. If a facility is treating attorney visits like normal visits, that's not right.

When a facility goes on lockdown (a fight, an incident, an emergency) for more than 24 hours, legal access can't just vanish. Each prison has to have a backup plan to restore contact with lawyers as soon as it's safe. This got added because long lockdowns were cutting people off from counsel. If a loved one is locked down and a legal deadline is looming, this backup-access rule is the thing to point to.

Need help with this? Just ask.

These pages cover the general rules. Your situation has details they don't. Email me a question. Answers are free, and "you don't need to pay anyone for this" is my most common answer.

josh@federalprisondude.com

I answer in the order received, usually within a couple of days. I have a day job. If your situation genuinely needs more than an email, I take a limited number of consults, so say so and we'll work it out.

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