In the case of Cruz et al. v. Hauck, Sheriff in 1971, the United States Supreme Court dealt with issues related to prisoners' rights and access to legal resources. The plaintiffs were inmates at a Texas prison who claimed that their constitutional rights had been violated because they were denied access to an adequate law library or assistance from persons trained in the law while preparing appeals for their convictions. They argued this was a violation of their Fourteenth Amendment right to due process and equal protection under the law. However, the court ruled against them stating that there is no absolute constitutional right for prisoners to have access either to a law library or legal assistance when preparing appeals.

In the dissenting opinion for Cruz et al. v. Hauck, Sheriff, Justice William O. Douglas argued that prisoners should have the right to assist each other in legal matters unless there is a compelling reason not to allow it. He believed that denying this right would be detrimental to those who cannot afford legal representation and are unable to adequately represent themselves due to lack of knowledge or education about the law and court procedures. Furthermore, he emphasized that jailhouse lawyers often provide valuable services for their fellow inmates by helping them understand their rights and navigate through complex legal processes which they otherwise wouldn't be able to do on their own.