Uptown People's Law Center (UPLC) is a community based, legal clinic in Chicago that assists incarcerated people in various matters, including denial of adequate medical care, excessive force matters, denial of religious rights, discrimination, access to the courts, due process and cruel and unusual punishment. They work to improve people’s quality of life through sound, community-oriented lawyering and by leveraging the law to effect social change. Rather than just taking on a specific “legal case,” they look at the person as a member of the community who needs UPLC's help Therefore, UPLC has currently filed many class-action lawsuits and several other lawsuits against the state of Illinois for unconstitutional prison conditions. The lawsuits will ultimately change the Illinois prison system for the better. However, UPLC does not represent individuals in criminal appeals. UPLC works on behalf of prisoners who are denied their basic human rights, tenants facing eviction and individuals seeking social security disability income. For additional information on their services, please contact the Center.