Jailhouse Law—Lawyering from Inside Prison
Jailhouse lawyers are inmates who help other inmates with legal filings while in prison. They handle matters from divorce to criminal appeals to claims against prison officials. They write motions and briefs and counsel clients; short of court representation, they provide the range of legal services that a licensed lawyer would. While the Supreme Court has recognized the importance of jailhouse lawyers in prisons where access to the courts is limited, jailhouse lawyers still operate in a legal gray area in many jurisdictions. Phillip Miller, Associate Director of Policy at the Correctional Association of NY and a former jailhouse lawyer, explains how jailhouse lawyering works in practice and the crucial role they jailhouse lawyers play in the American penal system.
Watch Part 2 of Jailhouse Law.
