What if the prisoner has no money to hire a lawyer at home?

Family members of prisoners who are unable to hire lawyers and meet the requirements for judicial assistance may apply for judicial assistance to the local legal aid center. In criminal cases, if a criminal suspect or defendant is blind, deaf or dumb, or a mental patient, criminal suspect or defendant who has not completely lost the ability to identify or control his own behavior may be sentenced to life imprisonment or death, and a defender is not appointed, the people's court, the people's procuratorate and the public security organ shall notify the legal aid institution to appoint a lawyer to defend him.

Mutual legal assistance ordinance

Article 10 For the following matters that need to be represented due to economic difficulties, citizens who have not entrusted an agent may apply to legal aid institutions for legal aid:

(1) Requesting state compensation according to law;

(2) Requesting social insurance benefits or minimum living security benefits;

(3) Requesting pensions and relief funds;

(4) Requesting to pay alimony, alimony and alimony;

(5) Requesting payment of labor remuneration;

(six) to claim the civil rights and interests arising from the courageous behavior.

The people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government may make supplementary provisions on legal aid matters other than those stipulated in the preceding paragraph.

Citizens may apply to legal aid institutions for legal advice on matters specified in the first and second paragraphs of this article.

Eleventh in criminal proceedings, under any of the following circumstances, citizens can apply for legal aid from legal aid institutions:

(1) The criminal suspect fails to hire a lawyer due to financial difficulties after being interrogated for the first time by the investigation organ or from the date when compulsory measures are taken;

(2) The victim of a public prosecution case and his legal representative or close relatives have not entrusted an agent ad litem due to financial difficulties since the date when the case was transferred for examination and prosecution;

(three) since the case of private prosecution was accepted by the people's court, the private prosecutor and his legal representative have not entrusted an agent ad litem due to financial difficulties.

Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China

Article 34

If a criminal suspect or defendant fails to entrust a defender due to financial difficulties or other reasons, he or his close relatives may apply to a legal aid institution. To meet the conditions of legal aid, legal aid institutions shall appoint lawyers to defend them.

If the criminal suspect or defendant is a mental patient who is blind, deaf, dumb or has not completely lost the ability to identify or control his own behavior, and has not entrusted a defender, the people's court, the people's procuratorate and the public security organ shall notify the legal aid institution to appoint a lawyer to defend him.

If a criminal suspect or defendant may be sentenced to life imprisonment or death without entrusting a defender, the people's court, the people's procuratorate and the public security organ shall notify the legal aid institution to appoint a lawyer to defend him.