Alex Rubenstein's work will help prisoners in need of legal assistance.

CAMDEN — Prisoners’ rights often may be unclear amongst
the complicated procedures for filing a complaint or lawsuit against a prison.
Otherwise valid claims could be thrown out if the complaint doesn’t go through
proper channels.

Alex Rubenstein, a Rutgers–Camden law student, has written
an article and developed a pamphlet to help those prisoners navigate the process.

“The Prison Litigation Reform Act makes it harder for
prisoners to file civil rights lawsuits against prisons, but many of these procedures are not uniform,” Rubenstein explains. “That is,
procedures for pursuing remedy within the prison can vary from prison system to
prison system and in some cases from prison to prison. They often contain
numerous technical requirements.”

Upon learning of the statute
during a civil rights class, Rubenstein took on a pro bono research project and
wrote an article to help prisoners navigate procedural hurdles that can
otherwise bar civil rights claims. The article was published in a Pennsylvania
Prison Society newsletter. The society is a nonprofit organization that
advocates on behalf of prison inmates in Pennsylvania and the newsletter reaches
inmates throughout the state.

 “The Prison Litigation Reform Act is
fraught with complexities and if prisoners wish to successfully pursue claims
both within and outside of the prison, compliance with the grievance process
set up at each individual prison vital,” says Todd Berger, managing
attorney for the Federal Prisoner Re-entry Project at Rutgers–Camden. “Alex’s
work will help prisoners who are very much in need of legal assistance navigate
this extremely complex process.”

Rubenstein, originally from Alexandria, Va. and now living
in Camden, says many prisoner complaints challenge prison
conditions.

“The main reason the PLRA was
passed was the volume of prison litigation,” Rubenstein says. “The fact of the
matter is the vast majority of prisoner suits are frivolous. But the issue with
the PLRA is that it doesn’t only keep out the bad claims, it keeps out the good
claims, too. The people who have valid grievances — like prison conditions or
medical care — have a more difficult time filing the grievance due to deadlines
and other specifics.”

Rubenstein also developed a
forthcoming pamphlet on the topic set for distribution by the Pennsylvania
Prison Society.

“This is a great example of how
different parts of the Rutgers Law curriculum interrelate and can help a
motivated student like Alex to have an impact on the real world while still in
law school,” says Sarah Ricks, a clinical professor of law and
co-director of the Pro Bono Research Project at Rutgers–Camden.

Adds Rubenstein, “I’m very proud of this because it has practical
implications. There are a lot of opportunities at the Rutgers School of
Law–Camden that allow you to be trained as a lawyer and apply what you learn to
real-life experiences.”

Rubenstein, who earned his
undergraduate degree in anthropology from Macalester College in St.
Paul, Minn., will work in the litigation department for the Philadelphia law
firm Stradley, Ronon, Stevens, and Young after he
graduates this spring.

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