Death Row lawyer reveals item of clothing he was told not to wear before visiting prison
A former death row lawyer has revealed a big 'mistake' he avoided making thanks to a prison offering him specific advice before one of his first visits.
Josh Pickar spent seven years working as a lawyer for men on death row in Alabama and federal prisons.
He began the role aged 24 after being offered the chance to join two pro bono death-penalty cases by a friend.
Following a task which saw him review evidence and discover a video was in fact a series of images stuck together, he was 'hooked'.
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He's since opened up about one of his first prison visits and the advice he received specifically about what he should and shouldn't wear.
In a piece for The Guardian he revealed after some 'light panicking and a full body pat down' he sat down opposite of of his first clients.
He continued: "Before the visit, the prison had told me not to wear khaki. Now I understood why."
Why? Well, the prisoner was wearing a prison jumpsuit on top of a white undershirt. And the print of the prison suit?
Khaki, of course.
And who knows what sort of awkward mix-up that could've resulted in, Pickar noting: "The guards did not want to mistake a lawyer for a prisoner."
Don't just take Pickar's word for it either, Alabamaprisons.org adding further advice on what to wear when visiting an inmate in the state.
It explains: "Dress codes prohibit revealing or uniform-style clothing and any item that could conceal identity."
Specific prisons have different uniforms, so Prison Visitor Guide notes to avoid wearing any colours which match and adds: "Clothing must be knee-length and not tight or sheer."
An input from a family member of a prisoner on Prisoner's Abroad goes into even further detail, right down to bra straps too.
The post notes they've found it 'is important to make sure you have a change of clothes with you incase the officer does not approve'.
"For example, neckline too low, dress too short, clothing too tight. It’s also crucial to never wear orange or beige, as this is the colour of inmate clothing, which can vary in State and Federal prisons," they add.
The post continues: "You can’t wear backless shoes like flip flops or sandals and I always ensure there is no metal on my clothing. If a visitor is wearing jewellery or watches these have to be taken off when going through the metal detector. For women, absolutely no wired bras are allowed; even the metal hooks set the alarms off."
Poppy Bilderbeck