Classes, workshops and symposiums.
Another way to reach client that are not necessarily captive is to hold classes and workshops for those who are at a level that wish to continue the study of self-actualization. Trying to define what Justice is from a purely legal concept to one of a metaphysical one is not an easy road to travel. It is my experience that persons perceive themselves easily as victims and wrap themselves up trying to seek vengeance, retribution, or to even the score. They can spend life times in the turmoil without moving up or out of this level of consciousness. In order to move the client from this lower level to a higher level of consciousness it may take months of teaching and spiritual counseling to have the clients realize that the answers are already in their grasp. Thus I will propose to write articles on specific instances where the battle was intense in the mind of clients and where the solution was seeking for answers outside of man’s domain but in the domain of spirit.
I have spoken to inmates who were retaining my firm to handle appeals for their sentences. Many of those that I have spoken to have spent many years in the legal process and they and their families were willing to pay thousands of dollars seeking any possible attempt at reversing the injustice. Often after reviewing the evidence at the trial or on the record, it was clear to me that neither the jury nor the judge were in error on the law and thus there were no appealable issues. JUSTICE in the legal domain was in fact done. The client had his due process rights, the law was followed and the court sentenced the individual within the confines of the sentencing statute. There was no injustice that I could point out on the record. This does not mean however that the client does not perceive injustice or that unfairness was not present. Fairness and justice are not the same thing and this must be explained carefully to all clients. When confronted with this type of situation I begin to delve into the mind of the client to determine if he is looking for “fairness” or just his understanding of “justice” I have found that if the client has truly understood his crime and has forgiven himself we can move the discussion. We can move from appeals of the system, to dealing with early release programs that might be available and begin the repairing of his soul, mind and heart. This is often complicated with families that will not accept that an unfairness could happen to their family. Often it is more difficult dealing with a lonely wife or mother than it is with the inmate himself and the work must be done with the family even before I begin the work with the client. Writing articles and compiling them into a book on dealing with the criminal justice system and with spiritual truths could be an excellent manner into reaching these families.