The Jailhouse Lawyer
My book, The Jailhouse Lawyer, is coming July 8
On July 8, Penguin Press will publish The Jailhouse Lawyer, my new book with my friend and coauthor Sophie Cull about my career as a jailhouse lawyer.
It tells the story of how I went from facing the death penalty in Orleans Parish Prison to becoming a self-taught “counsel substitute” at Angola, thanks to the mentors, books, and friendships that shaped me. 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.
This story is the culmination of a three-decade journey through Louisiana prisons and over a decade of work since I’ve come home, and I am really excited to share it with you.
Head over to my Books to Prisons Campaign page to learn how you can help me get free copies of my book into prisons and jails so that incarcerated readers can access it along with the general public. The campaign runs until June 24, 2025.
Thanks for being part of this journey with me. You can pre-order the book at any of the sites below.
Links to purchase The Jailhouse Lawyer:
Porchlight (great discount for bulk orders)
I was honored and so happy when some of my heroes agreed to read an early version of my story. I’ve shared a few of their words below:
John Grisham
“If I created a fictional character like Calvin Duncan, no one would believe him and the story wouldn’t work. Fiction can be many things, but it has to be believable. Duncan’s story is so incredible it strains belief. It is so heartwarming and hopeful that it will stay with you for a long time.”
James Forman, Jr.
“The legal system tried to destroy Calvin Duncan. But rather than submit, he used the law to fight back, both for himself and for hundreds of other incarcerated men. This brilliantly told story—at once maddening and miraculous—is among the most powerful indictments of our criminal justice system I’ve ever read.”
Adam Haslett
“The truth is a powerful force, but without advocates, it dies. And Calvin Duncan is an advocate for the truth unlike any you’ve ever encountered—not simply on his own behalf but for hundreds of others caught up in the unending disaster of our American gulag. The book he and Sophie Cull have written with such precision and vividness and heart is a testament to that advocacy which no judge or court can deny. Read it and weep. Books that change the way you see the world are few and far between. The Jailhouse Lawyer is one of them.”
Sr. Helen Prejean
“Calvin Duncan is surely the most extraordinary jailhouse lawyer of our time. The Jailhouse Lawyer offers an intimate portrayal of Duncan’s decades-long journey for justice, fighting for thousands of indigent prisoners against a merciless legal system. This remarkable debut is both a powerful account of Duncan’s struggle and a clarion call to end the brutal legacy of mass incarceration. Duncan’s relentless determination to champion those forgotten by justice will ignite a fire within you that will burn long after you’ve finished the book.”
Jim McCloskey
“A superbly written, compelling memoir chronicling Calvin Duncan’s remarkable life—an innocent man incarcerated at the infamous Angola State Prison who became a self-taught, brilliant jailhouse lawyer. Although the word ‘hero’ is greatly overused in today’s society, in my mind, Calvin Duncan is a hero in the truest sense of that word. I urge all who are in need of inspiration to please read this riveting account of an indomitable spirit in the face of ongoing stiff resistance.”