Reading for Access to Justice: The Jailhouse Lawyer by Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull

It's June-- are you looking for your first Summer Reading pick? The American Bar Association recently announced the winner of their 2026 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts. The award recognizes "outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system" and includes books, film, and other media. This year, the memoir The Jailhouse Lawyer by Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull joins the ranks of books and media like Killers of the Flower Moon, Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence, and Marriage Equality: From Outlaws to In-Laws in receiving this honor. 

The book focuses not only on the life of Calvin Duncan, former "inmate counsel substitute" at Angola Prison, now an attorney and elected Clerk of Criminal Court for Orleans Parish, but his perspective on access to justice and its barriers in the criminal legal system. In his own words, Duncan writes, "It explores the cases I worked on, the obstacles I faced, and the fight for justice inside a system designed to keep poor people out of the courts." Duncan's memoir, as told by Sophie Cull, expertly describes real-life struggles of incarcerated people to learn the law, access legal materials, and obtain case records and exonerating evidence. He sprinkles in moving, often intense, human stories to his legal pursuits to help men meet impossibly tight deadlines and fight against shocking conditions and abuse inside of his Louisiana prison unit.

Image of the cover for The Jailhouse Lawyer book on dark blue background.

Image source: www.CalvinDuncan.com

Duncan's story speaks to the ethos of access to justice that is near and dear to the heart of many law librarians. In his book he recounts the leadership of Dora Rabalais in the Legal Programs Department, who "watched it [the Inmate Counsel Substitute program] blossom from six inmates with a limited library of donated books and one or two typewriters in 1975 to a staff of 60, a complete law library with WestLaw access, and a computer for each staffer". His admiration for her work shines through his text and shows the power of access to information and support from legal counsel for those inside the walls. Once considered the “most brilliant legal mind in Angola Prison”, he continues to record the history and patrons of the Angola Prison Law Library in his Substack writings today.

Since the publication of his memoir Mr. Duncan has devoted himself to access to justice in his campaign for Clerk of Criminal Court of Orleans Parish. He has poignantly stated that he is motivated to facilitate access to case records for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people because he has seen the profound difference it can make, including whether someone returns home or dies in prison. We love an access to justice hero, and Calvin Duncan embodies that spirit! Check out the list of all the Silver Gavel Award winners on their official announcement page. You can learn more about access to justice for incarcerated persons and Calvin Duncan's work in the links below. 

Further reading:

What About Books?

In mid-April, a French court ordered shipping giant Amazon to restrict its sales and deliveries to “essential items.” The order stated that Amazon could only fulfill orders for food, hygiene, and medical items. The court further gave Amazon 24 hours to cease delivery of nonessential items or face steep fines, as much as one million euros per day per infraction. The order was the result of an action filed by a trade union, alleging that Amazon had violated the Labor Code by failing to protect the health and safety of its employees by allowing them to work in crowded, enclosed spaces. As a result of the court order, Amazon shut down its facilities for five days to clean and assess the working environment. Amazon also appealed the order, citing ambiguity in the definition of what constitutes essential as one of the bases of the appeal.

On April 24, the Court of Appeals of Versailles affirmed the lower tribunal’s order. The appellate court also defined specific categories of essential items: hi-tech and information technology; office supplies; pet supplies; health, nutrition, and personal care product; groceries; drinks; and maintenance.

While we applaud the French courts for focusing on the health and safety of workers, we at the Harris County Law Library can’t help but wonder why books were not included among those items deemed essential. Yes, we know that books are not “absolutely necessary,” but they are still extremely important, not in an earth-shattering way, but critical nonetheless. Crucial, too, to a segment of the population that has been overlooked by the digital divide and who have no access to digital versions of print materials. Before the pandemic, print books outsold eBooks. Even in Paris, it seemed as if more commuters were reading print books while commuting on the Paris Metro. Of course, life is much different now. Social distancing and disinfecting have become the norm. Still, we can’t help but feel that books should be considered essential, especially now when physical libraries are closed to the public. Moreover, the French ruling overlooks the obvious health and mental benefits that come from reading books. Reading sharpens the brain and prevents cognitive decline, reduces stress, helps sleep, eases depression, educates and boosts vocabulary, and can even help people live longer. These benefits are extremely important, especially now, when so many people are isolated from their loved ones and friends.

We urge you today (and everyday) to pick up a book, whether a print one or an eBook, and reap the benefits that come from reading the written word. Then, you, too, can see how essential books are.