Summary
The article discusses a prisoner's experiences with the U.S. legal system while incarcerated. It describes how many inmates, including the writer, have had to learn and fight legal battles on their own due to lack of adequate legal support.
Key Facts
- The writer began studying law while in solitary confinement to understand and challenge their legal case.
- Despite being well-educated, the writer found legal jargon difficult to understand in court.
- They received two consecutive life sentences, which the writer believes could have been different with better legal strategies.
- In 2005, at New Jersey State Prison, the writer was advised by another inmate to learn law and fight their legal battles independently.
- They joined a prisoner-run paralegal group called the Inmate Legal Association and became an uncertified paralegal.
- The writer filed several legal motions, winning some initial victories, despite the challenges.
- Many prisoners in the U.S. represent themselves in court due to the lack of affordable legal representation; 91% of legal challenges by inmates from 2000 to 2019 were filed pro se.
- Access to legal resources and support is limited for prisoners, making legal battles more challenging.
