"This is the story of law learned, not in the ivory towers of multi-billion-dollar endowed universities in the bowels of the slave-ship, in the hidden, dank dungeons of America Š It is law learned in a stew of bitterness, under the constant threat of violence, in places where millions of people live, but millions of others wish to ignore or forget. It is law written with stubs of pencils, or with four-inch-long rubberized flex-pens, with grit, glimmerings of brilliance, and with clear knowledge that retaliation is right outside the cell door. It is a different perspective on the law, written from the bottom, with a faint hope that a right may be wronged, an injustice redressed. It is Hard Law."— Mumia Abu-Jamal

Mumia Abu-Jamal is author of many books, including Live From Death Row, Death Blossoms, All Things Censored, and We Want Freedom. He has been living on death row in a Pennsylvania prison since 1982.

Jailhouse Lawyer book launch 30th June House of Lords
4:00 to 5:00pm
House of Lords, Committee Room 4
St Stephen's entrance

Hosted by Lord Ramsbotham, Former HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
Speakers:
· Selma James, Crossroads Books editor, Introduction to Jailhouse Lawyers
· John Hirst, Ex-prisoner, won ECtHR decision for prisoners' right to vote.
· Flo Krause, Barrister who represented John Hirst in the ECtHR
· Ian Macdonald, Queens Counsel
· Emmanuel De Silva, Jailhouse lawyer
· Benjamin Zephaniah, Poet, ex-prisoner
· Niki Adams, Legal Action for Women

From death row, award-winning journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal introduces us to fellow prisoners who litigate against their jailers, risking punishment or even death, to win justice for themselves and other prisoners.

Selma James's Introduction presents the parallel universe of UK jailhouse lawyers who, like their US counterparts, are leading a justice movement inside prisons.

The UK publication of Jailhouse Lawyers is an opportunity for prisoners' campaign for the vote and other efforts for fundamental reforms to be more widely known and supported.

Order Jailhouse Lawyers
On line at
http://allwomencount.net/Publications/Forsalepage.htm

or send your order to: crossroadsbooks@allwomencount.net
or by post to Crossroads Books, PO Box 287 London NW6 5QU