PERSPECTIVES ON PRISON LEGAL SERVICES - NEEDS, IMPACT, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR LAW SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT

• NCJ Number: 1753
• Author(s): M M FINKELSTEIN
• Date Published: 1971
• Length: 500 pages
• Grant Number(s): NI-70-052
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Boston University
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service; National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE NEED FOR PRISON LEGAL SERVICES IS ESTIMATED AT A POTENTIAL 200,000 LEGAL PROCEEDINGS PER YEAR. WORK OF LAW SCHOOLS IN PROVIDING SUCH SERVICES IS OUTLINED.

Abstract

THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY PRISON LEGAL SERVICES PROJECT, IN A SIX-MONTH PERIOD, RECEIVED 302 REQUESTS FOR LEGAL AID AND PROCESSED 346 LEGAL PROBLEMS. OF THESE 50 PER CENT INVOLVED CRIMINAL PROBLEMS, 19 PER CENT WERE CIVIL AND 30 PER CENT INVOLVED PRISONERS' RIGHTS. THE 5 CATEGORIES WHICH CONSTITUTED 71 PER CENT OF ALL INMATE REQUESTS, CONCERNED SENTENCING AND PAROLE ELIGIBILITY (19 PERCENT), OUTSTANDING WARRANTS (18 PERCENT), COLLATERAL ATTACK (17 PERCENT), FAMILY LAW (9.8 PERCENT) AND DIRECT APPEALS (6 PERCENT). 43.2 PERCENT OF OUR NATION'S LAW SCHOOLS GIVE LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO INMATES. CONTENTS INCLUDE OVERVIEW OF PRISON LEGAL SERVICES, THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES AT DEER ISLAND, CONCORD AND NORFOLK, ATTITUDINAL AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWLY ADMITTED INMATES AND APPLICANTS FOR LEGAL SERVICES, AND PRISON LEGAL SERVICES, A NATIONAL SURVEY OF CORRECTIONAL PERSONNEL AND LAW SCHOOLS IS PRESENTED