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Articles by Paul Wright

Joinder of Georgia Annual Parole Hearing Injunction Is Rejected

The Eleventh Circuit US Court of Appeals rejected the attempt of a Georgia life prisoner to use the mechanism of joinder (Fed.RulesCiv.Proc. Rule 20(a)) to gain the benefit of another life prisoner's injunction providing for annual parole consideration hearings.


James Swan, a Georgia life prisoner who was not receiving parole ...

The Crime of Being Poor

"The law in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets and to steal bread."


_ Anatole France


A central part of the mythology of the criminal justice system in the United States is that everyone is treated ...

From the Editor

Observant readers will have noticed that PLN's masthead has changed its message from "Working to Extend Democracy to All" to "Dedicated to Protecting Human Rights." As PLN enters its fourteenth year of publishing and advocacy on behalf of prisoners, we think this change more accurately reflects the actual work PLN ...

From the Editor

Welcome to the thirteenth anni-versary issue of PLN. This marks the 157th issue of PLN that we have published since our first issue appeared in May, 1990. In that time period a lot has happened, both with PLN and the prison system we cover. For one thing, both grew. PLN ...

From the Editor

From The Editor

by Paul Wright

Beginning with this issue of PLN there will be some changes in the law articles. Due to the limited space we have for news and law articles and the ongoing growth in prison and jail related cases being decided by the courts, we are ...

From the Editor

I am pleased to announce that The Celling of America: An Inside Look at the U.S. Prison Industry, PLN's first book which was published in 1998, is now available in Spanish. El Encarcelamiento de America was published last summer in Spain by Editorial Virus, a progressive publisher in Barcelona. Copies ...

From the Editor

From The Editor

by Paul Wright

The month of September will be the last month that Hans Sherrer, PLN's circulation manager will be with us. After several years working for PLN Hans is moving on to other activities. As PLN's circulation manager, Hans oversaw our database and ensured changes were ...

From the Editor

PLN's new book, Prison Nation: The Warehousing of America's Poor is now available for distribution from PLN as well as other bookstores and outlets. Edited by myself and Seattle attorney Tara Herivel, Prison Nation is the first book to systematically examine the connection between mass imprisonment and indigent criminal defense. ...

Protecting Your Health and Safety: A Litigation Guide for Inmates

by Robert Toone, Southern Poverty Law Center, 2002, 328 pages

Review by Paul Wright


The bottom-line for most prisoners is surviving prison. That means staying healthy, getting medical care as needed in a safe environment and not being assaulted by prisoners and staff. Everything else-free speech, religious freedom, disciplinary hearings, ...

From the Editor

Welcome to the first issue of PLN for 2003. If you have not yet been donated to PLN's annual fund-raiser it is not too late to do so. All donations, large or small, help. Your donations go directly to supporting the work that PLN does. We have several exciting projects ...