"Many of us behind the wall believe the system isn't built for justice it's built for conviction. So we're learning the law to fight from the inside. Years ago, while in county lockup, I came across a Dylan Thomas poem I didn't fully understand. It read: Do not go gentle into that good night Rage, rage against the dying of the light. I liked the rhythm and the urgency of it."
"I began studying law while in solitary confinement at the Hudson County Correctional Center in Kearny, New Jersey. At 25, I was educated, street-smart, well-travelled, well-read, and owned and ran a successful business selling phones and laptops. And still, I couldn't follow the jargon in court. It sounded like a strange language that everyone else spoke fluently. I asked my lawyers some questions, but I didn't press. I was new. I trusted them. It's a mistake that still haunts me."
"When I got to New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) in Trenton in 2005, an older prisoner told me, Your job is to stay out of trouble, live, and fight for your life. There are no saviours. Get to the law library and learn. So I joined the Inmate Legal Association (ILA), a prisoner-run paralegal group. They trained me, and I became an uncertified paralegal."
An incarcerated person learned law inside prison to challenge convictions and assist fellow prisoners. The person first encountered Dylan Thomas's poem and later studied law while in solitary confinement. Despite education and business experience, court jargon was incomprehensible and misplaced trust in lawyers contributed to two consecutive life sentences totaling 150 years. The person explains that the legal system pressures compliance and treats appeals with deference to trial strategy. At New Jersey State Prison an older inmate urged legal study, leading to joining a prisoner-run Inmate Legal Association, training as an uncertified paralegal, initiating legal fights, and securing procedural victories for others.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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