Prison Law & Advocacy Conference (PLAC 2026)
The Prison Law & Advocacy Conference (PLAC) is a biennial event dedicated to addressing inhumane carceral conditions. Organized by Harvard Law School’s Prison Legal Assistance Project, the 2026 conference is scheduled for November 5–7 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This gathering serves as a platform for advocates, system-impacted individuals, academics, and experts to strategize, inspire, and reflect on the ongoing fight against unjust incarceration practices.
The conference will feature a comprehensive program, including a 2–3 hour afternoon primer on strategic litigation skills for newer lawyers advocating on behalf of incarcerated individuals. Subsequent days will offer keynote speakers, plenary presentations, and concurrent panels covering topics such as Conditions of Confinement, Solitary Confinement, Prisoner Labor, Damages, Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), Artificial Intelligence, Consent Decree Enforcement, Carceral Data, Investigations, Private Entities, Decarceral Strategies, Medical Care and Mental Health, Prisoner Rape Elimination Act (PREA), Habeas Corpus, State Courts, Academic & Public Interest Partnerships, and additional emerging issues.
Notable speakers include Dee Deidre Farmer, an expert consultant for attorneys and law offices in civil rights cases nationwide, and Daryl Norcott, JD, Director of Community Partnerships and Special Projects at Amend. The conference also offers networking opportunities, receptions, and a tour of the Middlesex County Jail and House of Correction.
This conference is tailored for advocates for people in custody, students, and individuals who were formerly incarcerated. It provides a unique opportunity to engage with experts, gain insights into current challenges and strategies, and contribute to the ongoing discourse on prison reform.
Speakers(15)
Amite Dominick
Founder at Texas Prisons Community Advocates
Amite Dominick founded Texas Prisons Community Advocates. Dr. Dominick is a system-impacted woman of color whose advocacy is rooted in both professional expertise and lived experience.
Anna VanCleave
Author at California Law Review
Anna VanCleave is the author of "Prison Banking," 112 Cal. L. Rev. 1699 (2025).
Atteeyah Hollie
Deputy Director at Southern Center for Human Rights
Atteeyah Hollie is the Deputy Director of Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) where she has litigated cases challenging the denial of the right to counsel for people experiencing poverty, illegally closed courtrooms, wealth-based detention, inhumane prison conditions, and the denial of utility services because of court debt.
Caroline Cohn
Attorney at National Consumer Law Center
Caroline Cohn is an attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, focusing on UDAP Challenges to Prison Financial Exploitation.
Daniel Greenfield
Senior Staff Attorney at Prison Law Office
Daniel Greenfield is a Senior Staff Attorney at the Prison Law Office (PLO). Daniel joined PLO in 2024 as a Senior Staff Attorney.
Daryl Norcott
Director of Community Partnerships and Special Projects at Amend
Daryl Norcott is Amend’s Director of Community Partnerships and Special Projects. He is responsible for developing programs and engaging a growing number of community partners and allies on long-term culture change strategies in U.S. prisons.
Deborah (Deb) Goldfarb
Senior Staff Attorney at Southern Poverty Law Center
Deborah (Deb) Goldfarb has worked in the social services field for over 10 years with diverse patient populations throughout the Greater Boston Area.
Dee Deidre Farmer
Executive Director at Fight-4-Justice Project
Dee Deidre Farmer serves as an expert consultant for attorneys and law offices in civil rights cases nationwide. She is a frequent public speaker and writer, and serves as the executive director of the nonprofit Fight-4-Justice Project.
Gregory L. Diskant
Senior Attorney at MacArthur Justice Center
Gregory L. Diskant is a Senior Attorney at the MacArthur Justice Center, where he identifies and litigates strategic civil rights and criminal justice cases in federal courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Jean Casella
Director and Co-founder at Solitary Watch
Jean Casella is the director and co-founder of Solitary Watch. She has also published work in The Guardian, The Nation, and Mother Jones, and is co-editor of the book Hell Is a Very Small Place: Voices from Solitary Confinement.
Joel Thompson
Managing Attorney at Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project
Joel Thompson is the Managing Attorney at the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project (PLAP), a student practice organization at Harvard Law School where students represent state prisoners in prison disciplinary hearings, parole hearings, clemency petitions, and other matters.
Mark Wilson
Paralegal at Oregon Justice Resource Center
Mark Wilson has worked as a paralegal for the Oregon Justice Resource Center since January 2025. Mark was incarcerated for 37½ years for a crime he committed as a teenager.
Nishi Kumar
Director of Medical Legal Projects at Medical Justice Alliance
Nishi Kumar is the Director of Medical Legal Projects at the Medical Justice Alliance, a non-profit organization of volunteer medical professionals that protects the right to medical care for every person incarcerated.
Patrick Booth
Managing Attorney at Prison Law Office
Patrick Booth is a Managing Attorney at the Prison Law Office (PLO). Patrick joined the Prison Law Office as a summer intern in 2018.
Sarah K. Austin
Staff Attorney at GLAD Law
Sarah K. Austin joined GLAD Law as a Staff Attorney in May 2024 and brings a passion for civil rights and complex civil litigation.
Event Details
- Date
- November 5-7, 2026
- 3 days
- Location
- 🇺🇸 Cambridge, United States
- Harvard University
- Pricing
- Varies by tier
- Audience
- Advocates for people in custody, students, and formerly incarcerated individuals
- CLE Credits
- CLE accreditation pending
- Attendees
- Not specified