State Counsel for Offenders

Safeguarding the Constitution and promoting justice by providing quality legal services exclusively to indigent persons confined in Texas correctional facilities.

What We Do

SCFO is responsible for providing legal counsel and representation to indigent persons while they are incarcerated in the TDCJ. SCFO also provides legal representation to currently and formerly incarcerated clients facing civil commitment proceedings in accordance with Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 841. SCFO is appointed to handle cases for indigent clients (1) indicted for alleged criminal acts committed while in the TDCJ custody; (2) subject to immigration removal proceedings; and (3) named in civil commitment proceedings as further described below. SCFO does not handle death penalty cases, fee generating cases, cases involving civil right issues, nor parole matters.

There are four legal sections within SCFO: Criminal Defense, Civil Defense, Appellate, and Legal Services. An Investigations section assists all legal sections as needed.

SCFO reports directly to and only to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) and is independent of and not a division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

Neither TBCJ nor TDCJ impedes, directs, or regulates a SCFO attorney’s independence of professional judgment in rendering services to clients, nor do they interfere with the attorney-client relationship.

How To Get Help

Incarcerated persons with legal questions should send an I-60 or letter by truck mail to SCFO and write on the outside of envelope “Legal Mail”. The person’s NAME and TDCJ ID # must be printed on the request.

Important! If the person has been served legal papers he/she should immediately send the legal papers to SCFO along with his or her request to SCFO, PO Box 4005, Huntsville, Texas 77342-4005.

FIND OUT MORE BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW:

SOURCE: https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/tbcj/scfo/index.html