Alana McMains

My name is Alana McMains. I'm an attorney. I primarily focus on federal criminal defense.

My name is Alana McMains. I'm an attorney. I primarily focus on federal criminal defense.

So in the United States, we have two parallel criminal justice systems. We have the state system. Most crimes are charged by the state, things like murders, DUIs, robbery, the kind of things we normally think of when we think of crime. There is also the federal system, and... I represent indigent clients who are charged with federal crimes.

So in the United States, we have two parallel criminal justice systems. We have the state system. Most crimes are charged by the state, things like murders, DUIs, robbery, the kind of things we normally think of when we think of crime. There is also the federal system, and... I represent indigent clients who are charged with federal crimes.

So being here in San Diego, border city, we're typically talking about border-related crimes. So importing, you know, fentanyl, bad hombres crossing the border, as Trump would say. Those are all my favorite people who I help. What I'm mainly doing is presenting mitigating factors to a judge and explaining why this person, whether due to poverty, sexual abuse, drug addiction, et cetera, why...

So being here in San Diego, border city, we're typically talking about border-related crimes. So importing, you know, fentanyl, bad hombres crossing the border, as Trump would say. Those are all my favorite people who I help. What I'm mainly doing is presenting mitigating factors to a judge and explaining why this person, whether due to poverty, sexual abuse, drug addiction, et cetera, why...

Eight years is not necessary for this woman. How about three years? Or how about probation as opposed to six months, depending on the severity of the crime?

Eight years is not necessary for this woman. How about three years? Or how about probation as opposed to six months, depending on the severity of the crime?

Yeah. In law school, you're taught about the various purposes of a criminal justice system. And, you know, there's rehabilitation. There is basically keeping people off the streets and away from people, just literally protecting the public. One of the options, of course, is retribution.

Yeah. In law school, you're taught about the various purposes of a criminal justice system. And, you know, there's rehabilitation. There is basically keeping people off the streets and away from people, just literally protecting the public. One of the options, of course, is retribution.

And I think, unfortunately, our criminal justice system is really heavy on the retribution and doesn't really focus on the others. Rehabilitation is just a joke. The type of programs that are available to people, it's minimal. There's very little funding. We are not sending people out better than they were. People are coming out, I think... They're traumatized.

And I think, unfortunately, our criminal justice system is really heavy on the retribution and doesn't really focus on the others. Rehabilitation is just a joke. The type of programs that are available to people, it's minimal. There's very little funding. We are not sending people out better than they were. People are coming out, I think... They're traumatized.

They're coming out often victims of sexual abuse or physical violence. They're coming out of prison having probably developed a lot of new criminal skills and criminal friends. Like overall, it's even if you're just thinking not about the people themselves, but thinking about society and what's best for us, the law abiding people. I don't think prison is achieving that.

They're coming out often victims of sexual abuse or physical violence. They're coming out of prison having probably developed a lot of new criminal skills and criminal friends. Like overall, it's even if you're just thinking not about the people themselves, but thinking about society and what's best for us, the law abiding people. I don't think prison is achieving that.

Well, it appeared that you thought that the appropriate prison outfit should be a nine-inch nail shirt and a pair of, I don't know if those were swim trunks? What was going on?

Well, it appeared that you thought that the appropriate prison outfit should be a nine-inch nail shirt and a pair of, I don't know if those were swim trunks? What was going on?

No, technically they don't. Knees are considered very scandalous in the prison world. Shorts are a no-go. Tight yoga pants I've gotten in trouble for wearing, like, legging-type things. Underwire and bras is a constant problem.

No, technically they don't. Knees are considered very scandalous in the prison world. Shorts are a no-go. Tight yoga pants I've gotten in trouble for wearing, like, legging-type things. Underwire and bras is a constant problem.

I've heard stories of women who went to visit clients at, like, faraway prisons out in the boondocks and were rejected for their bra, but you can't go in with no bra either, so they had to, like, drive and find a Walmart and just buy a sports bra.

I've heard stories of women who went to visit clients at, like, faraway prisons out in the boondocks and were rejected for their bra, but you can't go in with no bra either, so they had to, like, drive and find a Walmart and just buy a sports bra.