The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PALIP) is a nonprofit organization that is integral to safeguarding the civil rights of institutionalized and incarcerated persons throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PALIP's mission is to ensure equal access to justice for the indigent incarcerated and institutionalized people within our commonwealth whose constitutional and other rights are being violated. They provide free civil legal assistance to low-income people who are incarcerated or institutionalized in Pennsylvania. Their services include direct representation, information and referrals such as self-help and legal materials, as well as referral information at no cost to clients, class representation, legislative and administrative advocacy for administrative and legislative initiatives concerning institutional issues and advocacy for the clients' perspective, and group representation. The organization was created for the purpose of contributing resources and specialized knowledge that institutional legal issues require. PILP provides civil legal assistance free of charge and is committed to ensuring that the most marginalized members of our community behind bars are afforded their constitutionally protected rights.