Huffington Post on the dangers of being a snitch
Cameron Douglas (actor Michael's Douglas's son) got a lot of press for his drug conviction and his cooperation with the government, which apparently cut his ten year sentence in half. See also NY Post story here: Douglas ratted on dealers. Now the Huffington Post points out that as an acknowledged informant, Douglas "is likely to face a very tough time in prison." From Anthony Papa's (Drug Policy Alliance) post:
From my experience as someone who served 12 years in New York's Sing Sing state prison -- one of the most dangerous prisons in America -- I know that Cameron Douglas is in a world of trouble. Once a prisoner is labeled as a "snitch," their life in prison suddenly changes and is in immediate danger. In prison a snitch is frowned upon and is at the bottom of the hierarchy of prison life. Until this point, it seemed that Douglas was living a pretty comfortable life in the camp at Lewisberg. Minimum security institutions have dormitory housing, a relatively low staff-to-inmate ratio, and limited or no perimeter fencing. Douglas's status will likely change as soon as his life is threatened. Once this happens, his entire world will turn upside down, and he will be transferred to protective custody.
Comments
So when lawyers recommend that the client cooperates fully with investigators, are they committing an ethical breach by not fully informing the client regarding possible distinctions between five years of very hard time vs. ten years of relatively easy time?