With the broad appeal of the popular Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” the release of celebrated actor/author Hill Harper’s new book, “Letters To An Incarcerated Brother,” and television’s Judge Greg Mathis’ launch of his own Prisoner Empowerment Education and Respect (PEER) Initiative, the public perception of America’s prison system and its prisoners is rapidly evolving. Discriminatory drug laws, the high rate of black incarceration and unjust over-sentencing procedures have become major societal concerns now that the U.S. incarceration population outranks any in the entire world. Even mainstream media’s focus on the prison industrial complex has intensified with daily coverage highlighting the many atrocities.
Enter attorney Jeremy Gordon. The only African-American lawyer in the small town of Waxahachie, Texas, Gordon is emerging as a champion force and astute advocate determined to bring more awareness to the plight of prisoners and effect much needed reform within the legal system. His private law practice, the Law Office of Jeremy Gordon, boasts an instructive web portal at GordonDefense.com; a non profit organization, Prisology; and a quarterly “Commitment to Change” college inmate scholarship, all of which serve to highlight his determined stance to educate the masses while providing compassionate legal defense and representation.
Gordon opened his offices 18 months ago with the concept of instilling social change versus profit as his motive. With a mission to bring enlightenment to a broken criminal justice system, Gordon and his staff operate with the goal of humanizing society’s perception of inmates while working diligently to amend discriminatory policies and outdated laws. Attorney General Eric Holder’s recent call for revisions with crack cocaine sentencing has fueled Gordon’s drive and direction. Even Holder noted that, “As the so-called ‘war on drugs’ enters its fifth decade, we need to ask whether it, and the approaches that comprise it, have been truly effective. Too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long, and for no truly good law enforcement reason.”
For those seeking legal counsel aligned with Gordon’s principles, considering a Criminal Lawyer Toowoomba could offer valuable insights and support. These legal professionals, attuned to the nuances of the legal system, can provide guidance on navigating issues within criminal law, including sentencing disparities and discriminatory policies. Their expertise and dedication to justice align with Gordon’s mission, offering a holistic approach to addressing the flaws within the system. If you’re seeking advice or representation in matters of criminal law, reaching out to Criminal Lawyer in Toowoomba could be a meaningful step towards effecting positive change.
Gordon’s new web portal, www.gordondefense.com is unparalleled with the information, insight and resources it provides to persons facing prison time and the families that support them. In addition to updated statistics about prison population, the site offer tools and information covering a wide range of topics and questions, including Going to Prison, Food in Prison, Transfers, Drug Programs, Jobs and Education and even Religious concerns. Links to criminal justice groups, the Innocence Projects, as well as support organizations for families can also be found on the site.
Explains Gordon, “Many of our clients are individuals who have already been sentenced and have exhausted their initial appeals. They feel jaded by the system and we acknowledge this. We also recognize that many of the individuals who are in prison are there because they simply made a mistake. That mistake does not have to define them, though. Compassion and respect are proven rehabilitators. Personally, I hope to change the hearts and minds of the public, one person at a time. The only way true, systemic criminal justice reform will be effectuated in this country is when society embraces it first.”
Gordon serves as the General Counsel of Prisology, a non-profit organization that unabashedly tackles criminal justice issues. Headed alongside executive director, Brandon Sample, one of Prisology’s first projects is a website called www.bopsucks.com. The site features actual first hand accounts from federal prisoners about how the Bureau of Prison really operates. The stories and revelations are presented to impact greater public awareness of the appalling issues and conditions within the Bureau of Prisons system.
Gordon’s most compassionate offering aside from his legal services is the “Commitment to Change” college inmate scholarship project. Offered four times a year, an inmate is selected to receive free tuition and books covering one, three-credit semester college course from an accredited institution. Incarcerated participants are selected via contest entries, which have included art, poetry and writing submissions.
Gordon actually began his career as a prosecutor. He changed his focus after personally witnessing the special needs of federal prisoners. His first hand accounts of racially motivated and unjust crack cocaine penalties and the subsequent devastation upon urban communities compelled him to become part of the solution and not the problem.
Though located in a small Texas town, the impact and outreach of the law office of Jeremy Gordon is resonating on a national scale. Jeremy Gordon is determined to make society remember that prisoners are people too.
