In hindsight, John Koufos can only chuckle darkly about his ignorance of the criminal justice system. The former self-described “gang lawyer” didn’t really care all that much about the quality of jails his clients faced — or the releases that came after. After all, for the decade he was a much-sought-after criminal defense lawyer in New Jersey, it was a zero-sum game. “My clients, if we won, they walked out the door.