Ken Strutin’s “The Information Curtain of Prison Walls” spotlights the most significant deprivations of liberty imposed by the criminal justice system on millions of Americans. Mr. Strutin is correct that these often forgotten people are all worthy of a compassionate reading of, and response to, their correspondence.
However, attorneys do more than just ennoble incarcerated people when they read their letters and take seriously their complaints, such as horrific allegations of physical and sexual abuse or interference with desperately needed medical care. By inquiring, investigating and responding to these reported abuses by the state, counsel can shine a light on the darkness of the country’s prison and jail systems—a darkness which is regularly ignored.
