E L ISSUEL

| || THE MIDWEST JOURAL

S 4 co(fc-
THJUSTICE

’fi THROUGHOUT

THE FIGHT
FOLLRING THE RILES

Dear-Readers-

Eefore L beqin s journey with you, Yol like to thank
for youe mlflq i 1J support? Th ed, the fiest

& /7 ety and for those. of Uou wino dont know The
774 15 abuut learing about the vy and exgs:
Sé;mmw where slstice 1S pampant.. 115 about Support

i m? another by sharing houghts and information! 8o, T
e that, Lpu ayu‘u what, tou 1 «(T, and eontinug to come

Lack for more.”

Now, lets talk abouts /2wy die 4utss, Ao we all, o,
assurediuy know, (e Justice System i comprised and edecuited by
aconstart flvolwng Community of rules. Tn Fact, violating these
Tules Js what has iandec most of us in pi first. plac;

iy Just Sor those
well. #bw
ecrated and

S i 9(0 Ak abe
( cl- bub for' the average” Citize
151 that, we ane finding more. and nore'peogle

(onvicted- winen the truth s - theugh those ke
5 beoe, cfertntly, tatios o o Grvre RO tuah’q Pyt
MSe. Tt15 arquable, Nonever, thal. insensrivell Neincus crmes are.
And, pechaps, that 1 whij Corporale, Amencs has, oer the Jast detade.
or 5o, pushed the envalopeofl touher penalties. Add mmuw
e W At et S Uegn o bt s
uut o zdwmma.m du:lu\cowmo my of the stdftffit
onso - the, *Rat, Race" has truly defiied an Ai -bdmt ublic.
office, and NO ONE 18 following the rules - period

T ook arcund me, and 1 see all tupes of people vmpmoned 1
Know that some are quilty, but., al an darming rale - 27 are
ot} sy gtand corveted, smply because ey didn't know ar)
better - and wene *yichmzed" by some amre;_wm dlfimufig
Eassed the State Bar Exam, was nadequate

she hed learned 10 B4 Sthocl 10 e mmaaq Siuations o
Lirtumstances of hfe! 1 8ee people coming to prison because
thet/ et the Prosecution ofmee the car thalis ther 72/ They tn-
fuse - ok the Junes inte I‘cndxr&t Quilty verdiels, and pla-it
off, a8 1f 115 okal]. e, Defense, Aum %ault
oight # Afterall, we ve cnuvmd hum cr her wnmourl - defente
ofi% future! 80, 10 a0 effort to level the m%hdd durg these.
toiale, T thought. itimportant to share something with you all, in
foges thal s enl fimmmem ‘may help domeori. Dversiand,
lhut Junies, fine ties-cut of lm render guity verdiels betause
1)t v: bcmmckcd or 2) they didnt oveistand the toneepLof

£0, Td like to Kick-off Yus first 18sue. w:m a

d‘/}m{/»e POUND of TRLmL Make the ury overstand that they)
MUST Aoew the rusS. .

For this lesson, T will pretend that [ am an attorney, and that
We have reached the mmmglv gument gortion of a trg). 13 m-
peratve, in my Rumble opiion, that 3 Defense Atiorned Opep
\ng Statément should mmust olyof dchnnn%wm evidence”

mflm\maflwfiwmhkr jonous holes, m

them. The, tiosing Argument. shnutd en v'cmfom how (e o0
derce* 5o beapplied- not o the ruies - ut &y the ruies. .|

*T'd ik o hegn by thanking you llfor yote Lime, and const -
deration; 83 um Mgdlibv aflahdamm hié pro-
58, and whether [ malj nave ramed youany dffense orutom-
rtable moments. Iaawmgh |NhaL|MJ\c<Asc hat. you would

(centnued on Page 14...)
Ballot or the Bar:

THE CURRENT AND FORMERLY INCARCERATEDS RIGHT TO VO

Setting the Captives free by:

@ Enforoe the Reliious Freedom Restor

@ olishing ealeedSaery b Enendng
imennen.

4 and Expungement Act

& Ropealing the 1934 Crime il

@ Roolsning il and Froscutoria

@ Freeina Al Poltca risarrs

@ Boolishing rafctops

Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative:
Narrative Project Call for Submissions

Jailhouse lawyers have a profound impact on the legal land
scape. The work of some of the fields greatest has started

1o be recognized: Calvin Duncan, Shon Hopwood, and
Derrick Hamilton. Still, many attorneys on the outside view
the work of jailhouse lawyers with suspicion and skept
cism. JLI wants to change this perception. We know how
hard you work to advance the rights of your community
members on the inside. Everyday you challenge unjust laws,
hold institutions accountable, and create pathways for com-
‘munity members to come home. While the law prevents
you from attaching your name on legal cases, we SEE you
and all that you do. This work matters; the successes and
impacts deserved to be shared.

Towards that end, we are collecting stories of the work of
jailhouse lawyers across the country to help shape advocacy
demands and uplif the work of jailhouse lawyers. Please
share with us the story of your work as a jailhouse lawyer.
We would like to hear about the impact you have had on |
people’s cases as well s the impact that doing this work has |
had on yourself. What motivated you to enter into this work
and what motivates you to continue? What are the biggest |
challenges that you face in doing your legal work and how |
have you overcome these challenges? What are the things |
that need to change, and what do you think is the best way
forward in building a movement of jailhouse lawyers?

We would love to hear your story, and have your voice be-
come part of the movement of ailhouse lawyers advocating
for better lives,freedom and justice:

Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative
Legal Empowerment and Advocacy Hub
129 hacougal Stsest. * Office B22

New York, NY 10012

Chicago - Mass D
Know Yo

i ne couroom: ater e arten or ciston T o

1f you or a friend aro arrested, call the Public Defenders Station House
Ui a1 844-817-4448 for fréa lawyor 10 help at the polics stalion

I you have a case, call 773:309-1198 o be connected ith free or
reducod rate lawyers from the NLG.

What to Expect if Arrested

e T i s 15 por R W o o
fonger 1 Jou hao anculsiandig warrant, oo charged with 8 arous e, ot i
e s olaysd e 1 mak Amasts. s wh o v SGes 1o yourpersonsl
Bleci. ovaryinig’but the Sthas You woar wh ba coniscatad. 418 hot rouimed uil
70031 Telasad o wil not Nave Yo Do o wri 8 Contac nmbar on your ah 10
Yo v rmoar o ai ohons cAl 37 ueual SHowed onty skt Many nore
Loy oy Trosaty oo haus Bcces 1 medCatons Or mediar care ¥ o o ha
o Statlon I you are aking any madication or neod immediste medical stention.

Know Your Riahts During a Police Encounter

Police Encounters

Polca hav tho discrton o arest you orfsue cation. Whan daaling wih he pole,
Vo ay wan to kewp your hands i vew and i Sudden Moy maNE.You iy e
Wm0V pasaing bannd fham. 1 you t1ch 100 pOIS or her equpment (vehicier
o, animats, o). You may got baatup anof hardac wih assaut ot satery You
Cannol Know. Tor Crtan what 0 Sl b Chargas et U e yos hbve eon aeriod
ol Shsos, the posecto? 1 1he Oy porion who can acual GhBTDS You

1 can and should ask i you aro “ree to go.* f e
i o 1 Sy o ot sy o ot et o
e, ol polc Lo gt dow b s s ol 1 hey v fosson o
5 ok comeant 103 search" Thay mant kaap saatening vy I ou FSil you
uBatons o do ot have 16 open bas ofam cioted coniaineTok e ivcers oo i
ot Tonsant 3 Saen o your Bas or siher loperty i

ntinutd on fage

Training police to avoid
wrongful convictions

“The Ilinois Law Enforcement Trining and
Standards Board has made the state the irsc
in the nation to mandate wrongful conviction
awareness and avoidance training at allseven
police raining academies in the state. The
iinois Innocence Project (I1P)ax University
of linois Springfield will continue to manage
the waining, which untl now had only been
offerd in Champaign, and there only as an
dlective.

1P has two primary goals, according to
Marcus Beach, the group’s associate director
of wrongfal conviction awareness and avoid-
ance: to free innocent people and to promore:
changes in the law. Beach spent 27 years as &
membe of the Rantoul Police Departmene
and has been taining offcerssince 2004,
After his etirement from police work calier
his year he wasrecruited by University of
linois Urbana-Champaign Police Training,
Inscitute Director Mike Schlosser to desg
and implement he dases. Beach sid thathe
was surprised by the high number of wron-
folly convicted persons in the state. “As a
police oficer, you only see one side of the
process and i casy 10 have blind spors about
circumstancesthat can lead 0 wrongful con-
victions,” he said.

Beach says he makes recruits aware of
factors that make wrongful conviction
more likely. For insance, he elsrecrits
o be carel when dealing with eyewitness
estimony because perception and memories
are especialy inaccurat instrssfl or
unexpected stuations. I is vital to orroborate
witnesses statements no mater how sure they
ar i ther recolecions. He wants ectuis
0 be skeprical of exper tesimony 35 wel,
because experts wrn supporting facts into
convincing narraivs. “Coroners,ire marshals
and other professionals usually expresstheir

conclusions in a way that makes opinions
sound like fuces”

Recruits who are aware of factors that
Tead 10 erroncous assumprions are beter
at avoiding them. *Everybody, inclu
cops and prosccutors, wants to et
he said. “We al lose when an innocent
person s behind bars while the eriminal
s unidentified.” Beach says avoidance also
means resising the desire of some new police
officers o ssue lotof citations or makea loc
of arest. He ells them ics more importane
o develop relationships in the communiy
than to make arrests.

Every classincludes presentaion by i
safflawyer and an exoneree, Beach says that
while there are pleny of exonerees available
10 lk o recruits, he hopes that more fund.-
ing willallow 1P 1o hire morc lawyers. “We
only have two lawyers and when they are out
of the office giving presentations they can' be
working on exoneratons,” he sid

Kristine Bunch is an exonerce who makes
presenaions for 112 She spent 16 years in
prison for the murder of her thee-year-old
son in a house fir prosccutors aceused her of
deliberately seting, The fire was caused by a
Ketosene heate i the lving room. According
0 Bunch, investgators found some spilled
kerosene in the carpet and wrote that “aceler-
ant” had been found, which created a nara-
tive that the fire was deliberaely set

Bunch says the firse time she appeared in
front ofa room of police recruits o speak
was nerve-wracking and at thesame fime an
important step n her recovery from impris-
onment. “My palms were sweating as the
sight of o many cops evoked a ot of negaive
emorions because of my experience;” she sid.

“Then I eaized they'e just human beings
like me, rapped by their own impliic bia
She says the realiation that she could change

Kristine Bunch spnt more than 16 years inprson aterbeing wrongful convicte f Kiling her on. Now she
works o hlp prevent oher innocen peopl from sufeing the same fte

her mind about the police meant ehat they
chey think shout crimi

could change the w

nal suspects. It has become a centerpicce of
ter presentartons-teft ther o oo dowrr
the road that thei internal vibe leads them.
Keep an open mind.

P has successfully lobbicd lnois
Tawmakers to esablish the nation’s irsc
law banning palice from lying to children

during interrogarions. The organization also
partnered with the national Innocence Project,
Cook County States Attorncy Kim Foxs and
the Center on Wrongful Convictions at
Northwestern University School of Law o
back a 2019 law which limits tstimony from
Jailhouse informants and other incenivized
witnesse. llnois became the firststate to
require pretial eliabilty hearings before
jailhouse informant witness tesdimony may
be used in murder, sexual assaul and arson
cases.0

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They generally will not scck you outIf they have & reputation or doing this |
sort of work,believe when el you they aleady have plenty o do. You are not ven
o theirradar sreen. You nced 0 think about whom you decide choose before you
doanythin

2 leters o famous lawyers, ObAMa O your respective: govermor

make you feel better, but i’ 3 waste of tme. They et hundreds of leters a years
from people lke us. For the most part,their eyes will never sce them. You need a
standard simpl lettr, 2-5 pages. typed and in some sort of lozical onder. Where |
were you amrested and by whom? Who prosecuted the case? Who washvere your
Tawyer(s)? Whatare the basic facts of the crime you were alleged o have conmiticd.
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be reading this. In any event, what happens next? The most critical aspect of any [¢

There is Always Hope for Freedom

for Their Misconduct

Prosecutors who orchestrate the false conviction of the
innocent are committing crimes every bit as bad as any
they prosecute. They're not using turns to accomplish
their offenses, but something far more dangerous—their
immense, unchecked power.

Imagine a world without the terrible injustice of inno-
cent men and women being falsely imprisoned by their
own government. OF course, such a world will never exist.
In any human endeavor, there will all too frequently be
mistakes, misconduct, and abuses of power. And as things
stand, prosecutors are the ones most likely to commit
them.

If only prosecutors were properly mativated to always
put truth and justice ahead of ambition and carcer preser-
vation and advancement. If only they were held properly
accountable to prevent them from event thinking about
crossing the line in pursuit of a win at any cost. If only
their absolute power didn't corrupt them so absolutely.

At the 10p of everyone's list of meaningful criminal jus
tice reforms should be full prosecutorial accountability.

If they knew they could go to jail and have to pay money
‘damages out of their own pocket for misconduct, they
would be a whole lot less likely to commit it in the first
place, and there would be a whole lot fewer innocent peo-
ple being falsely convicted. As long as they are allowed to
keep getting away with misconduct, prosecutors are going
t0 keep committing it with sickening regularity.

“The public wants to feel safe. But how can they feel
safe when prosecutors who are sworn to uphold the law

o)

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stead = urposely violate it and convict the innocent?

| Falsely i 2= mprisoning anyone threatens the liberty of every
fone. It = akes everyone feel much less safe and secure in
their fre e==dom. None of us are truly free unless we all are.

Atno sgooint and for no reason does it ever become

permissi. ble for prosecutors to trample on anyone's b
| rights. P arosecutors are not above the law If anything, they
| should b= ¢ held to a much higher stand ard, given their

| standing=s .

Court = often overlook and tolerate prosecutorial mis-
|conduct because prosecutorsare seen as the good guys.
Some ccam urts feel that its perfectly okay for prosecutors to
bend the== rules and the truth (o their advantage because
[ they sup= posediy have the grastergood s ther goal. 1ts the
old, “the=ends justify the means” excuse. But what about
| when it <turns out the prosecutors are the bad guys? What

about w- Then their misconduct causes the conviction of the
innocera. 17 Should that be overlooked and tolerated, 1007

What ifeveryone could run around committing crimes
without any worry of being held responsible? That’s x-
actly the= privilege prosecutors have. They can rob the in-
nocent i their liberty at will and not have to worry about
having €0 answer for it. How can that be right or just?

Prose =utors don't become superior beings by virtue of
gelting == law degree, law license,and a job in the DA

office- E—hey re sttt subjs s
conditic—n of weighing their actions against possible conse
quences= . Naturally,if the corrupt among them know they
can corx—amit misconduct with impunity, they're going to
do so w- Thenever it suits them. Itsa recipe for repeated di
saster, a_ md a major systemic flaw that must be corrected. s

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7 4]
e Prison Law Libraries Set Up to Fail?

fay Van Story
Huntsville, TX

Prison law libraries are the lastline of defense for those ap-
pealing convictions. Usually incarcerated individuals rely
on these libraries a the only way to seek justice and gain
their freedom.

However, here in Michigan, we are given restrictions and
limitations that effectively turn our law libraries into a bad
joke. We are restricted to no more than 4 hours per week.
'All material is on the computer, but no class on the use of
the program, Lexis Nexis, is offered. We are also told that if
we have a GED or diploma, we are too smart to qualify for
legal writer assistance. As a result, we have no choice but to
gothrough it by ourselves.

“The version of Lexis Nexis that Michigan uses gives us
access to court rules as case law rulings, but has a vital flaw.
‘We do not have access 10.a brief bank, ke the legal writers
do. Every motion someone tries to write is like reinventing
the wheel. Why is that?

“The answer is not “security” because the inmates who are
egal writers have access. The answer is not cost, because
it would only require one or two computers dedicated to a
brief bank and the Prisoners Benefit Fund, money donated
by prisoners, would pay for it.

So why does the departmen of Corrections not offer
basic training o brief bank? The answer is simple: they
dorit have to. It is not their problem. However, not having
these things sets prisoners up to fail. Very few prisoners, if
any, come to prison with legal knowledge. We don't qualify
for legal writer help. We are told, “here is law library. If
you want your freedom, figure it out” How fair is that? How
is that justice? Most people get frustrated and quit. That is
not right cither. s this the best we can do? Ts 115 how U

(contmued on Page 22...)

Taken from NLG Guld Notes)
Volume 44 No- 3/4

TRUE CORRECTID

In todaij's world-what composes the qecd, and
the Led# s 1 My job title? My p[g&w n thg’

The Word of il speaks on this. Can the bind taad the
bind” SFall ot beth perish »r:mmsnfl Dy wrmwndqegnl
ness by the gy Dfim‘;&d' Ve seen wmiates were.
righteous. 0&% or correctional staff - et theyjcall
i e Departinent of Cooveckions. 15 it nct, o wito cevets?
Mans eqo haserlanged, and Tie has, 0178 VEIY Vi, where
g\mis say ey a %‘E 1l speatk o tcugh they were
uals need cerrecticn as well? One comes from e
r‘mewmacémhe 1mind and $pins; 5 all who don't, kow the
Father, s well as the son, Lovd and Savor F all whon believe.
8, 1t becomes it a question of titles oo pesiticns, but of
teur heart condition and what level of micrate ancl wnteqy
lies within you: We den't need mmmmfllmwe lesus
ghqsrralvul- butaaculm;ruv)fl Cleansing of mind and spin.
0ce cre has that. the Fesh will Flow, T cen't spek these thin
45 Ce Wi has @ Masters Deire 1 Puelclogy - far from i
it one apnmwug iclned wid wiites a5 it \g pen o hi. S,
what 15 te point, e cercluscn of e matird That the sl
o to Man's preblems e net i his own hands, but the Father's.
Fee enly the Creater ton Sl Creaticn.

~NETWORK-

13
el me aletie, or call me - whatewer'! - and complain 2072
Please, 1 the spu't, oF whal 18 iGNt andl what i far - dorot hold
dBL aganst my chent. Aga, W 1 have doneor said oy
offensive, T apogize - tut Understand me duty to defend iy

ient. .
*Now, iaches and gentieman of the, juey, 116 15 My closing,
T Ol Vi ot e, ot
with me because, the reason for 11,15 ooth simple and necessary
T ave only this aze ot atpunurg tgdl nthe Q@t direc-
10, o et 8t conneing ou E Ak e /. The
Droseriition Gets to aclress Up twict because, Smply stated,
they| nave e BURDEN OF PROOF. And that 1s where, T would ke
10start because, bruthfully, sz 15 What this tase 15 goingy to
il down to - ZF7 - ou fvibw -&/e -1 oks! s

T tanonly quess, at this poirt, now manyof you all Sithing
on the,juny panel are familian, of have any rel-worid exgener
Vuth tHé terrn, Auvkn of Aol Ad 1 oealize that, for most o
s anywa, the teem may Seem self-explangtory. v/~ the
Zrhis - tha, vest people misinierpret the Burdenof Procf
With the BURDEN OF PERSUABION, which, accorting 1o 603
Logal dictonsry - Bieit o wheh the Ww \ 1Fel ol s,
wito praclice lew art educaleal with - OF PERSUASION
18a partLfs dut) to Conwnce the fael-findery whiehs you the
éu{q‘ 1 view the facls 1n 3 viay thal favors ghat ordy: The Bur-

ncf Persuasion i met by what 18 called the ERENCE.
OF THE EVIDENCE, which 18 Sanctoned -or allowed - 074y al
the CIVIL level; whereas, as further notsted by Blacks, In
CRIMINAL Cases, the Proseeution's Durden 15 *oroof beyond 8
feasonable doubt" 7 15 the Prosecutions burden. . -
fl%grhanft’ pc{&mm! e pvidence 0 8 gase, and

), What constf SLBSIVE BVl L 3
what constitLtes, ;g}fge Wnat stdymxm.gfi\'%l\. Iam
%m t'i?e &zf;w pd. And T will even include the /2ze that di-
0.

"There are many, many different tupes of tvdence 0 the
field of Law. 6ut thére arc'only three, realiy, that matter
when deliberating whether or not the evidence gresented ina
tials, 0 cormand and &t a guiity) verdict;
mcfl ar€ Preponderance of the Evdence, Clear and Lormncing
Fuidence, and Evdence Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.-

15 *the greate? wegft of e pvdente; Supenor ehidentiany weght

“Now, what, cactly gthe flfsflxmmc of the Fvidence? 1t
t N

at, Umah et suffitient tofee the mind wholly from all reasorable
Jouoh, 18kl suffcient. towneline a far and impartial mind to
0N SIoC of the 18sue rather’ than the offen* Interestiraly encugh,
Blacks further notes that, *tis sihe burden m most ez irigls,
whith the yury & nstructed t0 find for the party thet, on 272
ihole, ha5 the atronaer evidence - owever slgrt the edog maht
. ¥ Swnply stated, f ths were 8 o/ tril, 1650ing 3 verdict foone:
S1dé o pericetl acoeptable - £ven /7 there may beSce coust - f H1at
sl has presented e cudente with the mist et Ihdcesnt
necessanly hae to De clear or conincing a5 e ruies n il trals
dlow ‘gf&y\‘uwm e
*Next, CoMes the #atle gromief o fonee dhicki g oersesies
from @rec/ s talled ‘uffie Afificnwmmfi
FVIDENCE.* Clear and Cominting Evdence 1s de
fined as: *wdence indicatin ((rieanng; 0.
J%////}/ ) the thing Lo be.
even 18 Jughvy et o 16
seramn” Now Sometealy 0N
< Mmay be saupngy
elf- : welf, there (el
! nand shut!* But! -
Seaieniby - s s oy the fence! We nowe, e, to s ove
| Blacks Law further states'tat, althzug: clearand ccvincing en
dence 15a *greater burden than prepanderance f the cvder !
| whchis * % Stanckine/ applied in CSL Ol Tl 115 /ess
than eviderce beyend a reasonabie daait, Lwtuch 18] the 7zom? for
Do/ s, ThaL means tht clearand ecmincing evdece 15
et Lo 10 LOICL SUMecne #26 Crmavie/ var Tiere s
flxa\mt e 22ore than, *What. T hearing convinces e that i 1&
I
o

hly possidle that the Defendant 15 ?f) of the allegations!*

st understand that, IF LS only pessee that the Deféndant 15
wluh 00 matkee Now A/ the prcbabity - 15 dise posside that.

| Peis et quitty) of the dllegatiens, o matter how £ u»&mmm—
Uity Ancl 2, ladkes andgentlemen, s 22 esserce of Reascrable
Daulbt! And o beapnd d reasenabie doulot 15 evdence, presented
by the Prosetuton that 15 S overwhelming that the fact finder s et
with n0/ccn7 10 presume, infer, gLess, aéym‘ CF SUPPOSE. vy
of thewr story or thecry of events - or any edemerid cr prepesitier) of
the char % NOUL (St 0k o the eradbree! - whet S Lecorewn, &l
Fecteor?- adl be begen/ perstiadect! 775 15 hew the preeess 15

l supposed O work Tf& e et rues? TF ou Still nave questions,

IEside. of tose for carificauon of Lestmory or physieal cudenee:

-15-
fusented wn opent ccuiet, ~ then the frosecution has fadedl to prove
L event. . . IF you are comarecs that, the Slery (o theory of
the ase) s smply éesevane! ~ tengs 7y Wiong with tat!
but, that e means that the Presecution has netprcies theiw
case! Why? Pecaise a beserate Stor does not dubsgantesce, inds
€ate, cr prow, that it 15 -wnclecd - a Zrve sty |- And f the enderce
| Presented otes st push (hat slm#/wc/ the pont cf merely beinga

elevad e, it means that the Fresecution has Auéd o cven-
(onie THE PRESUMPTION CF INNGCENCE wich 5 S guisranteed to the
Delendant ! 1t reans that the Prosecution has Fauka’ 1o niect s
Burden cf /- the 77robiry Tequirement befere you @an
rendera quity verdict. hose are ¢ rues/ Al pider thise
1ules - ng rwmmw/»m LN or may et fhink about the
| Defendant - weu are cthgarec/ te rendera b Guilty) verdiet

t AL VerUICL muét e tased/ Ci proven A/ Puderce

35S system anly wopks F verdiets are deciced withgut gy
fathy cr'ecnyectunte, That's Wiy, laclies and gentlemen, that,
a1 cre dl'the very Arog g the juddge‘tells your. That's
iy = Hese are the rules, Thank youl. . ."

%(mw Leculd go on, gt ? But. T thiok geu get e
telyl
i PASS IT O -

f{u( ‘uL}'Lu

1Legal Emgoowerment Toolkit Series:

!

: A Project of the
Jailhomuse Lawyers Initiative

“The Jailhouss= e Lawyers Initiative (JLI) aims to ensure that
jailhouse lin~vyers have access to effective and relevant train
ing that equ Sps them to meet the diversity of legal needs

of incarcera @=ed people. JLI also advocates for leadership,
peer suppor- & and trauma responsive skills as a part of jail
house lawye= r training. JLI is a national project of the Legal
Empowerm ==nt Advocacy Hub (LEAH) and is supported by
the Bernstei. == Institute for Human Rights. The legal empow-
erment of _-xrrent and former jailhouse lawyers, and law
clerksis onl s half the battle! Families, community organiz-
ers, students= and legal communities are central to ending
the cycle of = ncarceration and enabling communities (o 0b-
tain freedore=— from the inside out.

JLI believes that
justice is best achieved
through legal empow-
erment—a process of
learning and practice
where individuals and
communities gain
the knowledge and
skills to know, use |
and shape the laws
that affect their livs.
“Through this proce
communities
begin (0 tram-—asform the legal system. One model of legal em-
powerment s that of community paralegals. Community
paralegalsax—e not lawyers, but are trained in basic laws and
skills and pem._rtner with their fellow community members
tosolve lega 1 problems together. At their best, community
paralegals c x—eate a bridge between the law and real lfe.
Jailhouse l—vyers and law clerks are community paralegals
for people w—ho are incarcerated together.

Nearly eve==ry person who goes to a jail or a prison comes
acrossa jailk—aouse lawyer or law clerk. Law clerks are some
of the few pe==ople who have access to people who are in
solitary con #Einement, on death row, or in the infirmary.
Jailhouse ln—vyers and law clerks are able to reach a large
portion of t—ae incarcerated community with the tools nec-

sary for le z=zal empowerment.

Over the next year, in partnership with NLGs Guild
Notes, JLIwill be releasing justice toolkits, a series of train-
ing resources 1o support the work ofjailhouse lawyers.
“These toolkits will be aimed at practical skills that will help
you better know, use, and shape the law-—and share with
your peers to be more confident participating in their own
case. The legal system in the US needs transformation, It
will not happen until we strengthen the power of people.

Our goal s o create resources that are responsive to your
needs, Based on communications JLI has received from jail-
e lawyers and law clerks around the country,a range of
s have been identified. Please let us know if you have a
special interest in one or more of the toolkits (our mailing
address is below). We invite you t0 share other skills arcas
you would like to learn more abortt, Our goal is to
feast four toolkits in 20211

Data justice
Most of the data collected about the lives of those incarcer-
ated are collected by the prison systems which hold them.
“This toolkit will provide skills and training on how jail-
house lawyers can collect, analyze, and use their own data
10 help advance justice and share stories of truth from the
inside.

Narrative storytelling for policy change

: policy pec daity Hfeof those
who are incarcerated. Gain skills on how (o tell your story
of struggle and change in a way thathelps the public un-
derstand your lived realit, and that can lead to responsive
policy changes.

Human rights law
Hurman rights are rights that exist simply because we're hu
‘man beings. The work of law clerks and jailhouse lawyers s
protected by Supreme Court cases like Bounds v Smith and
Lewis v Casey in the United States but it is also protected by
international human rights law.

Legal Research/Legal Writing
Research and writing are the basic tools of any legal advo-
cate. This toolkit will offr tips and strategies to ensure that
our research is thorough and our wriing effectve.

Motivational interviewing
Creating a space of trust and empathy are essential to
building strong relationships with those we work with,
especially when we're helping them with their legal needs.
Motivational interviewing is a way to guide people through
the process of sharing essential information from their case
drawing on empathy and shared experiences.

Conflict resolution
People do not leave behind al the difficulties of their life
when they come to the law library to work on a case. It

mportant to have tools to manage emotions and conflict
that come up when addressing legal injustices.

Be on the lookout in future issues of Guild Notes for the
next toolkit! You can reach JLI at:

Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative
139 MacDougal Sireet - Offce B22
New York, NY 10012

SoaaL 55u8s

Kavira Das

ettt et o e 2

ity

b

Ao wiers od st sekors
vetyeero ol and Cnse

abandboo forhow o vt

TW

ource: nitps
Jid you know a great number of
ournalists and_politicians_are_more
ikely to respond to a tweet than any
Sther form of communication? With
ver 300 million monthly users, Twitter
| has_quickly become the platform of
| “hoice for many organizations seeking

o reach and engage their target
wdliences. By creating a well-designed
witter account, nonprofits can tell their
tory, pitch journalists, connect. with
ocal representatives and keep their
wupporters up to speed on the latest
1 rews.

Whois on Twitter?

\ccording to Pew Research Center,
fwittar has approximately 326 million

1sers every month. 40% of US adlults
id_Use—th

TTER AS A TOOL OF

OMOGAEY

twitter-as-a-tool-for-advogacy/

Twitter terminology
Tweet:a 280-character message

Retweet (RT): Tweeting another Twitter
user's tweet

Hashtag (#):Indexing of keywords

Follow: Subscribing to another Twitter user
tweets

Follower: Another Twitter user subscribing
toyour tweets

Trending: The most popular words, phrases
or hashtags being used in tweets at that
time for the selected geographic area

Direct Message (DM): 280-character private
toafollower

Slatform, to go with 27% of 30-49 year
Jlds. 26% of Black internet users in the
Inited States use Twitter, as do 24% of
White internet users and 20% of Latinx
ntemet users.

Jotably, over 70% of journalists
iee Twitter as a valuable tool for
*ngagement, as do the majority of
dateand national legislators andl
epresentatives, who use the platform
‘or transparency and feedback.

“irst steps on Twitter

Ahen you create aTwitter account, your
rganization can tell its story, engage
with your communities, enfarge. your
solunteer base, acquire more donors
wnd keep your supporters up to speed
1 on the latest events and campaiqns.

@ Symbol used to identify a Twitter user i
«@SarahShimazaki or @RMedia

Reply: A tweet-back or response to another
Twitter user

Lists: A way to organize favorites or similar
Twitter users you are interested in

Pinned: Marked tweets that will always
appearat the top of your profile

Promoted: Sponsored posts
Building your Twitter community

When starting from scratch, it can feel
daunting to ry to build up your community

of followers. We recommend starting with
folks lke:

Sl
1. Partner organizations and aiies.
2 Your elected officials

3. Thought leaders and influencers in
your space

. Reporters who cover the things you
care about

Twitter best practices

« What to tweet: Think of Twitter like the
intemet’s dinner party, and, remember,
nobody wants to be the person at the
dinner party who can only talk about
themselves. We like this ratio:

-1/3 share content (photos,
statements, aticles, blogs, etc)
“1/3 retweets (amplify partners work,
retweet tweets that suit your audience)
<173 converse (pose questions, respond
to comments, engage in conversation)

ideas,

- Consistency is key: consider posting at
least once a day

«Tweets morevisuals: Tweets withvisuals
receive 150% more retweets, o including
images and photos when possible can
help boost engagement. Many websites
have_images automatically associated
with links, if youtre sharing news or other
online content, but that doesn't necessary
guarantee an image will appear. Photos
straight from your mobile device are
often appropriate — they don't need to
be retouched or edited before sharing.

1 YOU 00 WAL 1 Combine text ai
graphics, using the intuitive_graphic
design tools like Canva or PicMonkey
(here are our tips for using PicMonkey)
isagood way to go.

- Get creative! You can also incluce GIFs,
memes and videos into a tweet.

Celebrate victories! In our current age
of constant distressing and frustrating
news, people are hungry for wins—
big and small. Be sure to update
your audience about a historic event,
significant achievement or small victory.

+Make us laugh: Don't be afraid to use a
little humor i your tweets!

« Connect to our shared humanity:
center people’s stories and voices first

-Theartofthe hashtag:keep it shortand
simple. Use no more than 3 hashtags in
atweetand no more than 4 words when
creating a hashtag (i #GetOutTheVote)

- Finding relevant hashtags: To
find trending hashtags relevant (o a
particularissue, use toolslike Hashtagify.

Less is more: use less #hashtags, less
@tags, less characters than youd think!
We recommend three or fewer hashtags
and handle tags per tweet.
would want your loved one to be treated?

o, what can be done? One thing s to have law schools
partner with prisoners (o form a committee including both
“inside” and “outside” individuals 10 educate everyone on
what would make an effective law library. 1 know for me,
abrief bank would be very helpful. f you're researching a
case and you see where someone received a favorable out-
come, why would you not want to see the motions that ac-
company the judgment? What case law did they use? How
did they form their argument?

“Though this is beyond a brief bank, there are other things
we can do to make law libraries more effective. Another
way s to hold dasses to teach people how touse Lexis
Nexis or Westlaw. There could be a paralegal program with
Volunteers from local law schools. Possibly some form of
mentorship program for those interested in continuing in
the law profession upon their release, ke myself. We could
even have “inside” chapters of the National Lawyers Guild
“These are but a few of the ideas [ have had, but I am sure
there are many others.

believe that working together and getting involved is the
only way we will see change. That is why I recently submi

ted my nomination for the “inside” Jailhouse lawyer VP of
the National Executive Committee. That is why T am cur-
rently enrolled in the Blackstone Career Institute paralegal
program. And that is why I am writing o you today.

Will you work with me to make this legal system of ours
fairand just? Or will you be like the corrections department
and say, “Oh, that is someone elses problem’? Every litle bit
helps. Sirmply by telling someone else about this s a start.
Small conversations lead to larger discussions which leads
toaction and change. It all starts with us. Thank you in ad-
vance for your thoughts and effort.»

How to Write a Good Argumentative
Essay: Easy Step-by-Step Guide

Source: MasterClass: MALCOLM GLADWELL

When you're writing 2 pesuasve sy, you
need mar than just an opiion to make your
eice heard. Eren th strongest stancewon't be
complling f s ot structured propery and
eiforced with sl reasoning and evidence
Leam what dlements every argumentatve
say should inclde and how tostructure t
dependingon youraudience In this easy step
bystep gide.

What s an Argumentative Essay?

A arqumentative ssy s @ piece of witng
that takes 3 stace on an iswe. I 3 go0d
srqumentative ey, 3 writer attempts to
peraade readrs to undestand and support
theiepaintofiewsbouta topicby stating her.
easaning and proiding evidence to back it .

Arqumentatve esay writing is 3 ommon
asignment for bigh school and_llege
students.Generaly, argumentatve essay
tpics e related o sciene, tecnology
plitcs and et are.

HowToOutlineanArgumentativessayin
45teps

Argumentatve esays showd bhave
Srightorvard sruture so they are sy or
readrstofolow.The goal of anargumentative
esay s to carly utine 3 poin of view,
reasaning,andvidence.A good argumentative
esay should oo histructure:

. ntroductoy paragraph. The st aragoph
of your esay shoud_outine the topic,
provide bacground_informaten_ necesry
to understand your argument, outine the
erdenceyouilpresentandstate or thess,

-2

2he thesis satement. This Is part of your fist
paragraph s oncise,one-setence summary of
Jour main oint and ot

380dy paragraphs. A typical argumentatve sy
omprises thee or mare paragaphs that expin
th essons why you support your thess. Each
body paragraph shouid cover a diferen

piece of evidence and cantain 3 topic semence
that dealy and condisey explains why the reader
hould agre withyour psiion. Body paragraphs
are where you back up your s with exampls,
nsearch, staists, studie, and text ctations.
Addres appasing poits ofview ad disproe them
orexplin why you disagreewith them. Presenting
acts nd consideing tpicrom every ngle s
bty andwil help you gainareaders st

A Condusion. One paragaph that rsttes your
summarizs al of the arguments made
dy parsgraphs.Ratherthan ltroducing
new s rmorearguments, aod concsion il
sppetoa readers emotins,Insame cses, s

topicpersanalyafectsthem.

How to Witea Thesis tatement in’3 Steps

Tour thesisstatementis nly nesntencelon, bt
1€ the mostimportant partof your argumentatie
esay. The thesis appears in your intoducory
paragaph,summarizs what your argumentatie
saywill e about,an prmes the eader o vhat's
1o come. Thes seps wil help you gt your poit
across carty and candsely:

1T thetopic o question and answer . St
up ig quetion i thetie o o ss2y o vith
the st fow sentences. Thn, bl upto asivering
thaquestioninyour thessstatemen.For e

inyour it o introduction, you cau posethe
quston, “What s the bes type of sandvic”
Ao then answer with o thess sttement:
“Th best type of sandichs peanutbutterand
1 Thismethodisffecive becausentiuing
uestionsdrw readers i and encourage them
tokesp reding o fnd heanswer.

25ate a0 srgument—and then refte it
Intraduce anidea that cstrsts vith our el
andimmediaely explain why you disagee with
it For exampl: “Whik some people believe
pesnut butter and el sandviches are too
simple, they'e versatie sandwices that you
an essly tum into sourmet mesl” This
method s fetive becaset s evdence
immediately demonstrtes jourcedbilty.

Sy autine your main pains.Introduce
‘your main pint and explin how youl Back
up Forexample: You an turn 3 peanut btter
and jelly sandwich ins 3 gourmet meal by
wing atsanl bread, uasting the bread and
adding additona) topsings This methed is
efective because Tt ives readers a dear idea

asytingyouls s

your esayand what ffecst hs.

.Pally hy the reader should care and vt
they shoukd do bout it after esding.

3 Main Typesof Arguments and How to Use
Them

There are three main wys to strucre an
arqumentatie esay. Chose one of the
ollowing or combine them to wite your
persuasv paer:

sl Present the main argument, state
‘youropnion,and do you st to comvic the
reader why your stance s th right ane. Also
lled Aristotlan, this i the most poplar
srtegy for making a argument beause its
the most simpe n o thiking t follo. s
efectve when your autiece doesthave 3
ot of informtion o a strng opiian about
Jour tpi, 3 It outines the facts cary and
oy

2A0gerian.Posentth prablem,acknowlde
the oppaing side of the argumen, stateyour
svintaf e, and explain iy yours s hemost

ey

serves 313 roadmap to hlp eep ou arganized
andontrak.

S TypesofArgument Caims

Once you decie what yo'earuing and know
your theds statement, cansider haw youl
present our argument,There ae e types of
argument daims tha o drve youressy:

fact: whetherth statementis trueor e,
20efniton: the dictinary deiiton of

what youre arguing, plus your own pesansl
nterpretatinaf it

aluetheimportance sfwhatyouerguin,

4 Caus and effct what uses te prolem in

enefcalt the reader Thitypeof arqumentis
efectveforpobrizing topics s tacknanledges
thsdes and presntsthemiddl groun.

STulmin. Presnt your daim, prsent rounds
o back vp that caim, and the justifytat the
arounds ar lnked {0 the caim. This tpe of
argument sl effectiveforpoartzing opc,
bt rather than resent bth sides, i prsents
one, ining particulary o facts presentedn 3
oy that makes the i difct 0 arguewith.

Whetheryou'e writing an esay as an atitc
exerdse or tying 1o get the attention of 3
o publiction, knowing how to_ corectly
structure your point fvew s the ey to3gend
argumenttiessay.

Cont.. Know Your Rights During a Police Encounter

P r St & o dor provide more nformaters han tha. i you
B1053 o amatr ot oy 1t o SR
e safoot chelca s 1o S5 nAN O G oy Your am. and G of b,
o o s i 1o hard an oear your 10, S0 20, 3 40 nl reach o
vt antl o 1l e obcer what youo 9505

Police Interrogations & "Mianda® Warnings.

1t you e auastonad by the polics on th stree r afe you have bean aested, You
e o s i assar your ith Amardman fioht 15 romain slon by
e P g & roman siont | want 10 8o 8 tawyr. (Nola: You st
oy s ha o it remain Shent i order 10 propery assert your i
ot s T polc da nok nave 1 1004 you Your s (s M

e okt taotian imerionalh WSa1e Hranda. and inough Jour rghts
ot et wha you 2y Can v used aganat you. For i
Bt o o cop 1 o ot Fa 15 o ke e s

Immigration Status Questions.

Rogardless of I you are undocumanted, out of satus,alegal parmanont residen (grosn
o L Shien oot v 0 gy S sbou Yo o

Younave e ot o sk o an s rame a b nmber 1 Yo 4 e,
Ry can s charged wih Sssaul or batey 10 an offcer.

Rocording Police Activity

o o atod o o 15, eSS M. used 1 o & fefony o ocord poico
i v many o o esgonel hcgh 1 15 egal fr you lo m thom
e can e omper b ey charged fr rocorthg policn, offcers nove
e oy charaes (sueh s dsordeny conduch Il ey can e 10001
T e reats i hay moment

About the National Lawyers Guild

he Natonsl Lawers Guid (NL )
e o . Sl ogat wakers. and aihouse

) oo, of At i an organizauon which sha i a2 an ofacve
e S Social oren - b 3arvch o1 e people 1o ha end thal
Biman rihts shal b regardod 2 moro sacred han propery nerests.

Want to Learn More?

www.nlgchicago.org

Notora Lowyers Gl Chicag
5375, Daaborm, T Foo
Criago,L60605

chcasogeny| poicagoan | 31201305

(Continued from page 9...)

wrongful conviction case is simply the paper trail. Needed
is all transcripts, police reports, lab results and/or crine
scene materials. Your case does not operate without then.
Initially, everything rides with you and your Tean's ability
to gather the paperwork of your case. It's simply the road
map to your eventual release. Without a complete set and
careful review of your papervork, the effort will be ineffec-
tive and futile. Failure is almost guaranteed. Now you have
an idea how Lo get the attention ycu need. T can't stress
|enough, education is a must, don't let peer pressure or pride
stop you from regaining your freedom. ALl of the above
works, T am living proof. I started, if you have to, you can
do the same.

|Lorenzo Johnson
SCI Mahanoy, PA

(Taken from Vol. 4/#2 July issue of PAN (Frison Action
News 2011), and reproduced with permission).

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