Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld represents all people with disabilities on parole. The class action lawsuit Coleman v. Newsom was brought on behalf of prisoners with serious mental illness. Another class-action lawsuit called Armstrong v. Newsom, concerns prisoners and parolees with certain disabilities (mobility, hearing, vision, kidney, and learning). These cases seek to improve the way people with disabilities are treated in prisons and on parole.
If you or your family member was a class member of one of these cases while in prison and is now on parole, you continue to have certain rights. You can ask your parole agent for sign language interpretation, a battery pack to charge your GPS, help with transportation, help with access to a transitional housing program, help with access to mental health treatment services, help with access to substance abuse programs, and day reporting programs that can help with resume building and employment readiness, help with reading and writing, and other types of help with your disability. In addition, to avoid exposure to COVID-19, DAPO has agreed to limited reporting requirements until the pandemic is under control. DAPO-HQ has also agreed to reduce the number of parole violations it pursues during this period. Linked here are two FAQs that should be helpful to you: Parolee Housing Resources Packet and Transition to Parole Class Member Letter
YOU SHOULD NOT BE HOMELESS ON PAROLE, especially during a pandemic. DAPO and your parole agent should help you to find transitional housing and refer you to services to assist you in finding permanent housing. If you or a loved one on parole are homeless or at risk of being homeless and you are not getting help from your parole agent please call us collect at (415) 433-6830.
You can also call our office collect regarding transportation problems, problems with access to sign language interpretation for parole-funded or parole mandated programs, services, or for meetings with your parole agent, or regarding difficulty you may be having accessing mental health care or other programs and services you need at (415) 433-6830.