The collection is extensive and includes documents such as grant proposals, newspaper clippings, membership information, financial statements, correspondence, photographs, legal documents about the Jesse Davis case and the ensuing lawsuit, and conference information. The collection also includes information on various prisoner cases that the Center worked on and letters from prisoners throughout the state. The processed portion of the collection begins with the founding of the Center in 1985 and spans through 2000.

Series 1 of the collection contains grant proposals from 1990 to 1997 that the agency applied for and either received, renewed or was denied. Federal, state, local, and private grants provided a large portion of the Center's financial security. Though grants were not always stable or guaranteed, the Center for Law and Justice had several that were long-term, supplemented by short-term funding. Based on the information in this series, the United Way is a substantial resource for the Center. The New York Bar Association also provided funding a directory entitled Free Legal Information and Services in the Capital District.

Two other projects, Project Prep and Project Embrace were important parts of the Center's work. Project PREP (1994-95) was a crime prevention program for poor young people who often did not readily receive the nurturing or information they needed to develop into responsible, law-abiding and contributing citizens. The program consisted of a curriculum that included cultural education, positive survival skills, and nonviolent empowerment programs. [See "Center for Law and Justice Programs", Series 1, Box 1, Folder 14]. The primary goal of Project Embrace: An Outreach Model to Prevent Violence (1990-97) was to broaden community understanding about the nature and source of violent behavior. It also promoted the perspective that much of the violence addressed by the criminal justice system should be recognized as a public health issue. [See the Executive Summary of the Project Embrace submitted proposal in Series 1, Box 2, Folder 1].

Grants were solicited from government agencies and private corporations including the Albany City School District, Albany Housing Authority, Center for Economic Growth, Chase Manhattan Bank, Chemical Bank, Combined Federal Campaign, Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Life Insurance, Mohawk-Hudson Community Foundation, NAACP, New York Bar Association, State Employees Federated Appeal, TJMaxx, United Way, and WMHT Telecommunications. Some of the projects included, Holding Our Own, Mechanic Assistance Program (MAP), Prevention and Empowerment Project (PREP), Project Embrace, Project Vote, and the Safe Schools Grant.

Series 2 contains membership information spanning from 1992 to 1997. The series is restricted because it contains personal information about prison inmates, who made up the bulk of the Center's membership. Some letters concerned their individual cases. The series also includes form letters from the Center soliciting membership and blank membership forms. Many of the membership forms include copies of checks paid to the Center for yearly dues. Many of the forms came with notes and letters to Alice Green expressing thanks and appreciation for all of the work the Center has done.

Series 3 encompasses the various tasks and planning activities that surround the Capital District Community Conference on Crime and Criminal Justice. The series includes detailed information for the first four conferences, 1991-1994, and the programs for the fifth and sixth conferences. A survey for the 1995 conference may be found in Series 4 (Subject Files) under miscellaneous.

The Center for Law and Justice, Inc. began sponsoring annual conferences on May 18, 1991. The goal of the conferences was to bring together law enforcement officials, human rights advocates, and community members to address a wide range of controversial issues concerning bias in the criminal justice system and its impact on people of color, women, children and other groups. The conferences were one-day events, with keynote speakers, educational workshops, and strategy sessions. [In press release issued by The Center prior to the Conference. See Series 3, Box 1, Folder 2].

Series 4 contains subject files spanning from 1982 to 1984 and 1990 to 1993. Series 4 is primarily made up of official correspondence, both incoming and outgoing. The correspondence ranges from thank you letters to invitations for special events and also includes personal letters to/from local agencies, universities, leaders and activists. There are a few letters from inmates in these files, however that kind of correspondence is almost entirely found in Series 5. The correspondence in the series is from 1990 to 1993. Other subject files include information on Albany Law School, CAARV (Community Action Against Racism and Violence), the Community Police Board, Dr. Green's doctoral dissertation, financial statements, insurance information, syllabi for a course entitled Law and the Black Community (a course Dr. Green was teaching).

Series 5 is probably the most interesting and poignant piece of the collection. Prisoner Intakes and Letters, 1988-1998 consists of prisoner intake files that primarily contain letters from the prisoners to Alice Green or to her staff. You can also find letters responding to the prisoners' inquiries and/or needs from Alice Green and her staff. The correspondence ranges from letters of introduction, explaining why they were incarcerated in the first place and what services or information they seek from the Center to Christmas cards. Some of the letters come from family members advocating on behalf of a loved one in prison. Most of those letters are from mothers and wives. The correspondence contains very personal information on the inmates and sometimes on the people they victimized or allegedly victimized, which is why the series is restricted.

Series 6 contains a collection of newspaper clippings that The Center for Law and Justice maintained about issues and events that affected the criminal justice system, especially as it pertained to race and the African American community. There are also clippings on the African American community as a whole, both locally and nationally. The articles span from 1985 to 1995, though articles from pre-85 and post-95 may be found randomly throughout the subject areas. The subject areas include Affirmative Action, African American Families, African American Females, African American Males, African Americans, African Americans in Albany, African Americans in the Media, AIDS, Albany, Alternatives to Incarceration, Center for Law and Justice, Civilian Control of Police, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Community Policing, Courts, Crime, Crime Economics, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice System and Race, Crime Prevention, Death Penalty, Death Row, Drugs, Education, Female Prisoners, Forfeiture Bill, Fourth Amendment, Grand Jury, Juries, Insanity Defense, Misconduct, NYS Legislature, Police Brutality, Poverty, Pre-Trial Release, Prisoners, Prisons, Public Defense, Race and Media, Race and Racism, Schenectady, Tenants' Rights, Troy, Use of Force, Violence, and Youth.

Series 7 is a small collection of photographs of special events held and sponsored by The Center for Law and Justice. There are some notable people from the Capital District that are featured as speakers or that are being honored.

Series 8 is made of the administrative files of the Center. This includes annual reports, legal documents, certificate of incorporation, tax forms, financial statements and board meeting minutes. The documents are incomplete and there are several gaps in time for some of the files.

Series 9 consists of a small number of Center publications including The Advocate. The collection of The Advocate is incomplete. There is also a folder of "publications by others" relevant to the work done by the Center. The Advocate is a quarterly community criminal justice journal. First published in 1992, The Advocate serves to inform and educate the community about the criminal justice system and how it operates. Regular features include the demographics of the state prison population, significant local and national criminal justice news briefs, summaries of important legislation and court decisions, writings by prisoners, book and film reviews, and guest editorials.

[The Center for Law and Justice Annual Report, 1998-99, p. 12].