Inmate Grievance Procedures - Columbia Law School

Ch. 15 A JAILHOUSE LAWYER’S MANUAL 367G. ConclusionIf you have a grievance, you must go through your state’s inmate grievance program beforegoing to court. Once you receive a final decision from the IGP, you may file a complaint in court. If youfail to exhaust your remedies, your case will be dismissed. Even if you feel that the grievance system inyour prison is unfair or inefficient, you must exhaust it. Though all of the requirements under thePLRA may seem complicated and intimidating, you should try your best to properly exhaust yourgrievance. If you make an honest, good-faith effort to comply with the requirements, the courts aremore likely to excuse mistakes. For example, if you miss a deadline, you should not give up. Continue topursue your grievance and request to be excused from the rule you failed to follow, or ask to be able torefile your grievance and start over.