“Our hopes for a more just, safe and peaceful world can only be achieved when there is universal respect for the inherent dignity and equal rights of all members of the human family.” Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
As we head into the new year, I want to celebrate our achievements in 2025 – none of which would have been possible with the many people who have supported us by donating, volunteering, referring others our way, etc.
Here are a few highlights from 2025:
We had a productive year, positively impacting myriad incarcerated people, their families and the broader justice community. We began 2025 by bringing on more consulting clinical staff, thus growing our fee-for-service revenue, and ended it with a strategic-planning retreat to help bring us to the next level for an even more productive 2026. Our strategic plan, now in development, will enable us to approach funders to demonstrate that we have a sound growth strategy to build the infrastructure needed for even greater impact.
Throughout the year, we conducted training sessions for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC), defender organizations and even the U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In addition to our basic BOP-related training for attorneys, we conducted two national training sessions for the AOUSC on transgender issues and a webinar for paralegals, investigators and other court support staff.
In the spring of 2025, we were awarded a $50,000 state grant as a co-applicant for the preliminary planning of a day treatment center in Pennsylvania. (It is a long-term goal for PERA to pilot programs like this as a prison-diversion strategy or rehabilitation option for halfway house residents.) In the summer, we participated in a New Jersey district-wide training for federal judges. We also executed a retainer agreement for the Western District of North Carolina to support its clients with declarations and general BOP-related issues.
In the fall, we engaged with various ACLU attorneys, both on a pro bono and fee-for-service basis, to support First Step Act (FSA) litigation as well as actions supporting individuals who had been given the death penalty before former President Biden commuted their sentences. These individuals were moved to USP Terre Haute, and now President Trump is pushing to send them to the ADMAX, the only facility where true solitary confinement is enforced 24/7.
Throughout 2025, we maintained active correspondence via the BOP email program, helping hundreds of federal prisoners navigate the system within the BOP policy framework in a professional and non-adversarial manner. We regularly engaged with BOP support coordinators and higher-level bureau officials to significantly aid individuals and families. For instance, a retired BOP chaplain reached out to us who had been inappropriately terminated as a volunteer, and we intervened to help him be reinstated after we brought the case to the attention of central office management. We also were able to help a person who had been housed in the SHU for over 14 months, resulting in his transfer to another facility’s general population.
We are continuing to grow our network and reputation and have become a go-to organization for the media, law clinics, politicians, CJA panel attorneys and numerous defender organizations. We were even invited as a stakeholder to provide input to the DOJ regarding its Access to Justice Initiative and the Federal Prison Oversight Act. The GAO also solicited our feedback on tits ongoing review of First Step Act implementation.
One priority currently under development is a post-conviction support initiative that I hope to formalize with a law clinic and possibly another organization. Most promising is our meeting with NYU’s Jailhouse Lawyer’s Initiative (JLI) to collaborate on a pilot to provide legal support and education. We have already been able to get a few attorneys assigned to individuals who reached out to us for assistance, including an FSA case that was recently argued in the Third Circuit. Our declarations have assisted in the release of individuals with compassionate release cases, and judges have often cited our declarations in their decision-making process.
We continue to attract technical experts who want to make an impact and we now have a retired BOP medical doctor, former BOP psychologist, and a recently retired USPO sentencing guidelines expert complementing our existing staff. We continue to be fortunate to have compassionate people involved with the organization, as volunteers or at discounted rates, allowing $100 of every billable hour to be allocated to extending our services to those who would not be able to pay. We started the year struggling to make payroll but ended the year with approximately $27,000 in the account (and several billings pending receipt).
But what really demonstrates our impact more than any meetings or dollars are the words of those we have assisted:
“We won that parole case. You are like my magic wand. I’m so grateful for your time, educating both me and that parole board member. He had never recommended anyone for parole before… but he recommended my client for parole, and Mr. _____ is coming home after 40 years.”
I know that PERA can develop into the primary federal prison stakeholder in the country and significantly impact the federal justice community. We have made steady progress, and the strategic plan and our relationship development with high-profile stakeholders will grow our organization and impact even more. The impact we could collectively have on a broader scale once we have the financial support for our business infrastructure is endless. Donate what you can now and share this email with others who care about the cause!
With gratitude!
Jack T. Donson, Executive Director
