We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Law

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Prison Law?

By T. Briseno
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 5,750
Share

Prison law is a specialized area of the legal profession that addresses the human rights and representation needs of incarcerated men and women. While individuals who enter penal institutions do forfeit many freedoms, they typically should not become subject to a lesser law than that governing the land in which they serve their sentences. When the line between rights and freedoms is in question, legal representatives schooled and trained specifically in prison law are often needed.

There are high-profile stories of prisoners who have served long sentences for crimes they did not commit. Sensational cases of abuse within penal institutions have been reported in the popular media. Family members of those incarcerated may spend many years and exhaust their financial resources securing visits to see their loved ones. Each of these areas involves rights within the scope of prison law.

Cases of being denied medical treatment, being housed in unsafe facilities, and facing sentences that seem excessive for the weight of the crimes committed can be common for lawyers who work with prisoners. Overcrowding also can be a pressing legal concern. Many prison populations are outgrowing the capacity of their facility.

Proving that mistreatment or injustice has occurred and finding the means to research, hire, and compensate an attorney is extremely difficult for most prisoners. Men and women who are institutionalized can be uneducated or illiterate, may be completely alone after having harmed or alienated their families, often suffer from mental illness or depression that can prevent defensive action, and could be isolated through the very mistreatment for which they seek justice. Those who practice and administer prison law serve with an awareness of these challenges and of the prison systems they must navigate.

Typically, a small number of prisoners have the funds or family savings to acquire legal representation. Donated professional services, government allocations, and law student volunteers are common in the area of prison law. Representation from within the prison population can meet the needs of fellow prisoners as well, but this occurs mainly where law libraries and correspondence courses are available to provide legal education.

In countries where basic human rights may be an issue for even the general population, people serving sentences in prisons may hope to find a means of making unfair sentencing or substandard conditions publicly known. This also occurs in nations where human rights are central to governing but where the law has been misused. When injustice is exposed by the media or through a misstep of the accusers, prison law can become a strong tool in addressing the call for justice from outside the prison walls.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-prison-law.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.