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Article: Litigation behind bars: for prisoners suffering from hepatitis C and other effects of incarceration, the trial lawyer is often their only hope.
- Article from:
- Trial
- Article date:
- October 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 American Association for Justice, formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA®). This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Prisoners constitute a substantial and growing portion of the American population. The United States, which has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world, currently keeps more than 2 million people behind bars. For some groups, the statistics are even more chilling: An African-American male born in 1991 has a 29 percent chance of spending time in prison at some point in his life. (1)
Prisoners, who are overwhelmingly poor and uneducated, are among the most vulnerable members of society. Only one-third have a high school diploma. Many were unemployed or homeless immediately before their incarceration. (2) Drug and alcohol dependency is common.
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