Rosenberg: Spend Some Time in Jail
The New York Times reported recently that Jerry Rosenberg, perhaps the most famous “jailhouse lawyer” of our time, died Monday at age 72. A “jailhouse lawyer” in prison slang, is an inmate who advises other inmates on their legal rights.
Sometimes, the jailhouse lawyer was in fact at one time a lawyer. In other cases, the jailhouse lawyer has studied law or been through the system so many times, he or she just knows more than the rest. The jailhouse lawyer can be fairly intelligent and has virtually all the time in the world to commit to studying a legal issue. If properly educated and given adequate resources, a jailhouse lawyer might give you a real run for your money, or at least ask you questions you can’t answer right away.
The New York Times quotes Mr. Rosenberg as saying something to the effect of, “Anyone who wants to become a lawyer, should spend some time in jail.”
It’s an interesting thought, that could mean a variety of things.
Does it mean that jail is like a law school?
Or, does it mean that you aren’t really qualified to practice law until you’ve walked a mile in a prisoner’s shoes?
How literal is the comment—spend a night in jail or spend more time working with prisoners at a jail?
Why does it strike me with such curiousity?
Perhaps because I have actually toured detention centers and been so curious about what it must feel like to be caged…to know what life in there is really like…
Or perhaps I just question whether people working in the legal field and the courts can really understand what prison is like, when most have spent hardly any time in our detention facilities. I mean, it’s not exactly part of the on-the-job training, and it certainly is not a part of law school or most other formal education. I understand that some criminal justice education involves tours of prisons.
What do Mr. Rosenberg’s words mean to you?