bounds Archives – North Carolina Criminal Law

Jail Law Libraries, Part II

October 11, 2017May 7, 2010 Jamie Markham

In Part I of this post, I set out the rule from Bounds v. Smith that “the fundamental constitutional right of access to the courts requires prison authorities . . . to provid[e] prisoners with adequate law libraries or adequate assistance from persons trained in the law.” 430 U.S. 817, 828 (1977). I then surveyed … Read more

Jail Law Libraries, Part I

May 23, 2011May 6, 2010 Jamie Markham

In 1977, in a case arising out of North Carolina, the Supreme Court of the United States held that “the fundamental constitutional right of access to the courts requires prison authorities . . . to provid[e] prisoners with adequate law libraries or adequate assistance from persons trained in the law.” Bounds v. Smith, 430 U.S. … Read more