This is a fascinating article. I'd run across the term jailhouse lawyer in my readings about habeas corpus. The law and courts have long recognized that some p

This is a fascinating article. I'd run across the term jailhouse lawyer in my readings about habeas corpus. The law and courts have long recognized that some people aren't capable of writing their own petitions for relief, and need the help of a 'next friend' because no attorney is available to help the disadvantaged make their case. Just now I searched for "Jailhouse lawyer habeas", and found that Columbia Law School has a manual [0] to help prisoners assert their rights. Habeas corpus is one way of presenting a case to the court that says your rights were violated (the manual has a comprehensive chapter on this type of filing). [0] A Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual, 11th Ed. - http://jlm.law.columbia.edu/viewprevioused/ http://jlm.law.columbia.edu/viewprevioused/ This manual would have been helpful, but it didn't show up in my searches 3 years ago... I just used Wikipedia, a template from a Florida law firm, and the legislature's listing of the state's statutes to figure out how to petition the court. The judge ruled that the hospital's authority to hold my friend against her will had expired, and that she was to be released. I made the little mistake of thinking the hospital would care about the judge's order, after their attorney blew off the hearing... I think most state prisons have libraries for prisoners to use. Most county jails are terrible places with no meaningful access to libraries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_library#United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_library#United_States