# Document Your Case **Published**: 2026-07-22 **Source**: https://gps.press/document-your-case/ **Author**: GPS Staff --- [Skip to content](#content) GPS Toolkit # Document Your Case Every action you might take — a grievance, a records request, a complaint, a lawsuit — is only as strong as the record behind it. Memories fade and paperwork goes missing, but a clear, dated account written down at the time is hard to argue with. This is how to build that record. **Why this is the first thing to do.** The single most powerful thing you can do is write down what happened *while it's fresh* — with dates, names, and specifics — and get a copy out of the prison to someone you trust. Good documentation turns "he said, she said" into evidence, and it feeds everything else: it makes a grievance credible, tells you exactly what records to request, and would be the backbone of any complaint or case later. ## What makes documentation strong 🗓️ ### Dates & times When it happened, when you reported it, when you asked for help — every date matters, and deadlines run from them. 🧑‍✈️ ### Names & titles Who did or said what — officers, medical staff, wardens. No name? Note the rank, badge number, shift, and a description. 📌 ### Facts, not conclusions Write what you saw, heard, and felt — plainly and specifically. "I asked for my heart medication three times and was refused," not "they don't care." 👥 ### Witnesses Names and GDC numbers of anyone who saw it. A short written statement from a witness, dated and signed, is gold. 🩹 ### Injuries & evidence Describe injuries in writing right away. Ask to be seen — a sick-call slip or medical visit creates an official record even if care is poor. 📤 ### Get a copy OUT Records inside can be lost or taken. Mail or read a copy to a trusted person outside — an outside archive is durable and can't be confiscated. ## What to document Anything that harms you or someone you know inside — keep a running record of: Violence & use of force Threats to your safety Denied or delayed medical care Mental-health crises ignored Unsafe conditions — heat, sanitation, water Bad or withheld food Overcrowding & understaffing Retaliation for speaking up Lost or stolen property ## Keep a simple incident log One entry per incident. Copy this and fill in the [BRACKETS] each time something happens — on paper inside, or by whoever is keeping the record outside: Incident log entry: ``` DATE / TIME: [WHEN IT HAPPENED] LOCATION: [FACILITY / HOUSING UNIT / AREA] WHAT HAPPENED: [PLAIN, SPECIFIC ACCOUNT — what was done or denied, and by whom] STAFF INVOLVED: [NAME OR RANK / BADGE / SHIFT / DESCRIPTION] HARM / INJURY: [WHAT RESULTED — injury, illness, danger, loss] WITNESSES: [NAMES / GDC NUMBERS] REPORTED TO: [WHO YOU TOLD, WHEN — counselor, medical, officer] THEIR RESPONSE: [WHAT THEY DID OR DIDN'T DO] EVIDENCE KEPT: [SICK-CALL SLIP, GRIEVANCE #, PHOTOS, COPY SENT TO ___ ON ___] ``` Copy the log template ## Two people, two jobs #### If you're inside - Write it down the same day, dated, in your own words. - File a sick-call slip for any injury or medical need — it creates a record even if care is denied. - File a grievance for anything grievable (see the [Grievances toolkit](/grievances-appeals/)) and keep the receipt. - Ask witnesses to write and sign short statements. - Mail copies of everything to someone you trust outside. #### If you're outside, helping - Keep a dated file of everything your loved one tells you — save letters, emails, and notes from calls with the date. - Be the durable archive: store copies of every grievance, receipt, and record they send. - During visits, note dates and, where allowed, photograph visible injuries. - Request their medical records (see the [Open Records toolkit](/open-records-toolkit/)) to get the official version. - If it's a pattern of harm, [tell GPS](https://gps.press/submit-a-report/). ## Where your record takes you next Good documentation is the foundation the other tools stand on: - [File a grievance](/grievances-appeals/) — your dated account is the grievance. - [Request records](/open-records-toolkit/) — to pull the official incident reports, staffing, and medical files that back up (or contradict) what you saw. - Report to oversight bodies and, if it comes to it, support a legal case — all of which start from a solid record. **Stay safe while you document.** Keeping records is your right, but retaliation is real — be thoughtful about where you keep things inside, and lean on the outside copy. GPS never publishes a living incarcerated person's identifying details.This page is **information, not legal advice** — it's practical guidance on keeping a record. For a specific legal situation, reach a lawyer or [contact GPS](https://gps.press/submit-a-report/) and we'll help you find the right next step. Close [Report a Problem](https://support.gps.press/?system=gps-website)