Skip to content
Nonprofiteer
← PRISON LAW OFFICE

Form 990 for tax year 2022

Filed by PRISON LAW OFFICE.

Totals

Total revenue
$16,140,547
Total expenses
$5,026,875
Contributions and grants received
$921,842
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$10,382,861
Investment income
$4,765,090
Other revenue
$70,754
Total assets, end of year
$104,217,285
Total liabilities, end of year
$262,654
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$103,954,631
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$4,446,471
Management and general expenses
$580,404
Fundraising expenses
$0
Program service expenses (Part III)
$4,446,471

Program services were 88.5% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $842,219

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $79,623

  • 2a · Program service revenue: ATTORNEY FEES

    total $10,382,861 · related or exempt $10,382,861

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $553,397 · excluded $553,397

  • 6a · Gross rents

    real property $35,754

  • 6b · Less rental expenses

    real property $0

  • 6c · Rental income or loss

    real property $35,754

  • 6d · Net rental income or loss

    total $35,754 · excluded $35,754

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $4,211,693

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $0

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $4,211,693

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $4,211,693 · excluded $4,211,693

  • 11a · Other revenue: OTHER INCOME

    total $35,000 · related or exempt $35,000

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $35,000

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $1,222,600 · program services $1,101,800 · management and general $120,800

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $2,282,647 · program services $2,075,901 · management and general $206,746

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $325,080 · program services $283,918 · management and general $41,162

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $238,234 · program services $215,972 · management and general $22,262

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $28,225 · management and general $28,225

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $373,852 · program services $270,778 · management and general $103,074

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $105,409 · program services $93,550 · management and general $11,859

  • 17 · Travel

    total $130,162 · program services $129,476 · management and general $686

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $131,648 · program services $108,605 · management and general $23,043

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $28,715 · program services $26,032 · management and general $2,683

  • 24a · Other expenses: OFFICE EQUIPMENT

    total $58,736 · program services $53,247 · management and general $5,489

  • 24b · Other expenses: LIBRARY

    total $25,055 · program services $25,055

  • 24c · Other expenses: POSTAGE

    total $20,947 · program services $18,990 · management and general $1,957

  • 24d · Other expenses: TAXES AND LICENSES

    total $16,156 · program services $14,109 · management and general $2,047

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $39,409 · program services $29,038 · management and general $10,371

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $441,778 · end of year $652,797

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $502,430 · end of year $5,261,353

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $2,881,203 · end of year $3,883,703

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $18,138 · end of year $26,266

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $5,356,653

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $1,941,557

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $3,444,228 · end of year $3,415,096

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $82,111,489 · end of year $90,978,070

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $203,867 · end of year $251,788

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $12,788 · end of year $10,866

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $7,929 · end of year $0

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $89,174,682 · end of year $103,954,631

Mission and programs · 2022

Mission

THE MISSION OF THE PRISON LAW OFFICE IS TO ENSURE HUMANE AND CONSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT OF PEOPLE INCARCERATED IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND TO PROMOTE ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION CONSISTENT WITH PUBLIC SAFETY.

Activities or mission (Part I)

THE PRISON LAW OFFICE PROVIDES FREE LEGAL SERVICES TO PEOPLE INCARCERATED IN PRISONS, JAILS AND OTHER CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES, MAINLY IN CALIFORNIA, REGARDING THEIR CONDITIONS OF CONFINEMENT AND ISSUES RELATING TO THEIR PAROLE.

  • THE PRISON LAW OFFICE IS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF PEOPLE INCARCERATED IN CALIFORNIA'S CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES, TO FOSTER ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION AND TO INCREASE COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND EDUCATION IN CORRECTIONAL ISSUES.

    Expenses $4,446,471 · Revenue $10,382,861

As filed on the 2022 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Donald Specter

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $308,532
    From this org
    $302,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $6,532
    Hours/week
    45

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $301,000
    Bonus
    $1,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $6,532
    Filer's total
    $308,532
  • Steven Fama

    ATTORNEY

    Total calculated
    $270,044
    From this org
    $248,037
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $22,007
    Hours/week
    45

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $247,037
    Bonus
    $1,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $22,007
    Filer's total
    $270,044
  • Alison Hardy

    ATTORNEY

    Total calculated
    $247,839
    From this org
    $226,108
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $21,731
    Hours/week
    45

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $225,108
    Bonus
    $1,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $21,731
    Filer's total
    $247,839
  • Sara Norman

    ATTORNEY

    Total calculated
    $251,481
    From this org
    $240,675
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $10,806
    Hours/week
    45

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $239,675
    Bonus
    $1,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $10,806
    Filer's total
    $251,481
  • Margot Mendelson

    ATTORNEY

    Total calculated
    $197,577
    From this org
    $182,157
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $15,420
    Hours/week
    45

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $181,157
    Bonus
    $1,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $15,420
    Filer's total
    $197,577
  • Christianne Hipps

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Seth Morris

    VICE PRESIDENT/TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Jason Bell

    MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Vanita Gaonkar

    MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Nick Gregoratos

    MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Jean Lu

    MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Michael Marcum

    MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Claire McDonnell

    MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Vishal Shah

    MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Adrienne Yandell

    MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Independent compensation consultant
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

PART I, LINE 3
EFFORTS ARE MADE BY RESEARCHING INDUSTRY DATA TO DETERMINE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF SALARIES AND RELATED BENEFITS.
PART I, LINE 7
BONUSES ARE GIVEN TO EMPLOYEES AT YEAR-END AT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S DISCRETION.

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2022
Filed
13 May 2024
IRS schema version
2022v5.0
Source object
202411349349309126

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.