Our Mission

The Southern Center for Human Rights provides legal representation to people facing the death penalty, challenges human rights violations in prisons and jails, seeks through litigation and advocacy to improve legal representation for poor people accused of crimes, and advocates for criminal justice system reforms on behalf of those affected by the system in the Southern United States.

What We Do

The Center represents individuals facing the death penalty at all stages of litigation, consults with lawyers throughout the country on capital cases, and works with other organizations and individuals in efforts to end the use of the death penalty; brings impact litigation to challenge unconstitutional conditions and practices in prisons and jails and inadequate systems for providing legal representation for poor people accused of crimes; publishes reports and articles on these and other issues including judicial independence and the need for more humane and constructive responses to crime; and
advocates for positive (and against negative) criminal justice policies and legislation.