Guides: plain-language help, organized by problem

Everything we publish is written for the person living it, not for lawyers. Start with the free articles in the group that matches your situation. Where a written guide goes deeper, we say so and show the price. No surprises.

On supervised release

Most people reading this site are home on supervised release, not inside. These three explain how it works, how it can end early, and what actually happens when a violation is reported.

Supervised Release Is Not Freedom. Here Is How It Actually Works.

You Can Ask a Judge to End Supervised Release Early. Most People Never Do.

A Violation Report Is Not a Revocation. Know the Steps Between.

Go deeper: the Early Termination guides start at $29, and the free checklist below tells you whether you are ready to file.

Getting out earlier

Time credits, sentence calculation errors, and compassionate release are the three main ways a release date moves. Start with the one that matches your situation.

First Step Act Earned Time Credits: A Plain-Language Guide

Federal Sentence Calculation Errors: How to Check a Release Date

Compassionate Release in Federal Prison: Who Qualifies and How to Apply

United States v. Brooker (Zullo) and Compassionate Release

He Got Out After 13 Years. The Supreme Court May Send Him Back.

Go deeper: the First Step Act Time Credits guides start at $39, and compassionate release support starts with a free consultation.

Fighting the case after sentencing

Appeals, 2255 motions, and 2241 petitions are three different tools with three different clocks. These explain which one fits, and what the deadlines do to people who pick the wrong one.

Can You File a 2255 Motion Without a Lawyer?

Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Federal Cases

Habeas Corpus vs. Appeal: Key Differences in Federal Criminal Cases

How a Federal Habeas Motion Moves Through the Court

Your Appeal Brief Has to Argue Against the Ruling, Not Just the Unfairness

Your Second Petition Is Not a Second Chance (Guerrero v. Johnson)

He Filed It Himself. Now the Supreme Court Will Hear It. (Maxwell v. Dinis)

Go deeper: the Section 2255 guides start at $49 and the Section 2241 guides at $39.

Records, letters, and filings

Almost every motion stands on paper somebody had to request, write, or file correctly. These are the how-tos.

How to Request Your BOP Records: FOIA and Privacy Act Guide

How to Write a Declaration for Federal Court

How to Write a Support Letter for Federal Sentencing

5 Filing Mistakes That Get Federal Court Motions Rejected

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Pro Se Litigation

Go deeper: the Federal Docket and Case File guide ($19) covers pulling the full record, and the BOP Administrative Remedies guide ($29) covers the grievance paper trail.

Case watch: what the courts are deciding

New rulings move the ground under pending motions. We read them and translate what they change, in plain language.

Beaird v. United States: Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Federal Sentencing

Williams v. Attorney General: When a Conviction Justifies a Lifetime Gun Ban

First Circuit Says Low-Level Drug Defendants Get a Fairer Shot at a Reduced Sentence

Federal Courts Want to Hear From People Who Represent Themselves

In a White Collar Case, the Paper Decides the Sentence

What Happens After a Federal Motion Is Granted

New case coverage lands on the blog first and in the free newsletter every other Sunday.

Printed guides, mailed to someone inside

Downloads do not reach a person in federal prison. Every guide can be printed and mailed in, and selected guides can be ordered already printed through our mail order form. We bind printed guides without staples, and the Early Termination Readiness Checklist is free by mail.

Everything else

The full archive, newest first, is on the blog. If you cannot find the topic you need, ask us. Requests from readers are how several of these guides got written.

Pro Se Help LLC is a legal research and document preparation service, not a law firm. Nothing here is legal advice.