I really had hoped on ending my criminal law series last week. That was before I received a call from a client who asked me: "why haven't you discussed the rights of inmates at Rikers"? Good question. So, this morning I delved into the federal and state laws that govern the establishment and administration of prisons. Courts tend to give deference to prison officials regarding prisoners' rights. As long as the conditons or degree of a prisoner's confinement are within the sentence and not otherwise violative of the constitution. In otherwords, as a prisoner you do have rights, but the rights are pretty basic. Tune in tonight for the details. David Lesch Esq.