NCJ Number
127293
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1987) Pages: 132-136
Date Published
1987
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Programs to teach legal research and law in inmates in combination with law libraries or legal assistance that must be provided by correctional institutions to prisoners help to integrate two goals: protecting prisoners' constitutional rights and providing sound correctional education.
Abstract
Legal research programs for inmates benefit both from the extensive legal libraries available in many facilities and from the high degree of motivation among the student-inmates. This motivation stems from a desire to impress parole boards, a hope that increased legal knowledge may lead to favorable case dispositions or early release, and genuine desires for self-improvement. Law-related classes also benefit from the participation of "jailhouse lawyers" and the interaction between them and other inmates. Some of the drawbacks of prison legal programs include the unrealistic expectations that inmates often bring to their studies, efforts to elicit legal advice from the instructors, and general educational problems of illiteracy and poor academic preparation. 11 references (Author abstract modified)