Jailhouse Lawyer Members

What is a Jailhouse Lawyer?

(Also see What is the Prison Litigation Reform Act and Letter from Members)

A Jailhouse lawyer refers to a prisoner that, though usually never having practiced law on the outside, through conditions of necessity, learns to advocate for themselves and assist other prisoners in legal matters relating to their sentence, to their conditions in prison, or to civil matters of a legal nature.

Also see the Marshall Project –  “For $12 of Commissary, He Got 10 Years Off His Sentence”.

Mumia Abu-Jamal is perhaps the most well known of jailhouse lawyers, as he wrote the book, Jailhouse Lawyers: Prisoners Defending Prisoners V. The U.S.A.

In it, Mumia writes:

“Few people are better situated than jailhouse lawyers to observe the contradictions in society and, on occasion, to bring them forth into public view. For their services, for protecting the constitution from violation, their institutional reward is often a bitter consignment to the depths of the hole. The reason is actually quite simple: unlike other groups in prisons, jailhouse lawyers, in helping to free other prisoners or reduce their sentences, act to challenge how the joint is run. Jailhouse lawyers force prisons to change their formal rules and regulations, especially when they are illogical or downright silly, and for this administrators unleash their disciplinary arsenal with special vehemence”.

Jailhouse Lawyer Membership:

In addition to a membership confirmation letter with information about the network they are a part of, our jailhouse lawyer members receive:

  • A subscription to Guild Notes as well as the option to submit writing or artwork to be published in it

  • An option to receive the Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook

What Specific Issue do our Jailhouse Lawyers Work On (as reflected through letters):

Solitary
Appealing convictions (habeas corpus)
Religious rights
Transgender
Stolen property
Disabilities
Sentence reductions
Ineffective assistance of counsel
Getting vegetarian meals
Sexual/physical assault by guards or other prisoners
Bogus disciplinary charges
Innocence
Censorship
Inadequate dental care
Inadequate medical care
Access to law library and lacking materials
Polluted water
Excessive heat or cold
Environmental justice
PLRA restrictions
Immigration
Family law/paternity
Parole
Degenerative physical problems

One common thread is the sense of self-worth and value they receive from helping others inside.

For more, see What is the Prison Litigation Reform Act and Letter from Members

To join, send your request with the full name and address to:

National Lawyers Guild
attn: Membership
PO Box 1266
New York, NY 10009