How A Prisoner Rights Attorney In NYC Can Protect Inmates Against Abuse

By Leslie Ball


In the United States, every citizen enjoys certain inalienable rights. These privileges can never be taken away, even when a citizen commits a crime and is found guilty of that crime. Prisoners therefore do not forfeit their privileges. In fact, they enjoy a certain additional level of protection. If any of their privileges is refused or abused, they can approach a prisoner rights attorney in NYC.

New York, NY is home to more than sixty five thousand being held in custody. Some of these are awaiting trial or the outcome of bail hearings, but the vast majority are serving jail sentences for crimes committed. There are several non governmental organisations that focus on making sure that those in custody are treated according to the law. There are also numerous lawyers that specialize in representing those that feel that they have been treated wrongly.

The laws about the treatment of arrested people and inmates are very strict. Every member of every law enforcement agency is trained in this matter and they are obliged to uphold the laws in this regard. If they fail to do so they may be prosecuted and they may even be dismissed. In addition, if the rules have not been followed the victim may argue that the procedures were unconstitutional and therefore invalid.

One of the most basic rights and one that is all too often either waived or abused, is that nobody is obliged to make a statement, to admit guilt or to even answer questions unless they have a lawyer present. Many people think that the system will be more lenient if they cooperate by making a statement or by answering questions. This is not the case. Many accused in such a situation incriminate themselves without needing to do so.

So seriously are the privileges of citizens regarded that the highest law of the land, the constitution, guarantees the services of a lawyer to every accused. The state has an obligation to appoint a lawyer if the accused cannot afford one. However, once a sentence is passed, the state appointed lawyer cease to represent his client.

Organizations guarding against the abuse of prisoners have good reason to be concerned. It is an unfortunate fact that prisons are often powerhouses of violence and abuse of every description. Both guards and fellow inmates have been found guilty of such abuse on numerous occasions in the past. Complaints from victims are routinely ignored and if they do not get legal help they are unlikely to obtain any form of redress or protection.

Inmates should enlighten themselves about their situation, their privileges and the stipulations of the laws governing the treatment of prison inmates. If they are abused or if they are denied their privileges, they should contact a lawyer specializing in such matters. Many legal aid societies can provide advice and they can act on behalf of victims. In many cases such services are provided free of charge.

There are those that say that prisoners should forfeit their constitutional protection. After all, they are in prison because they abused their own victims. The fact remains, however, that there are rules and laws in place and that these must be followed by all concerned.




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