Judge Joe Brown -- I'm Not UNlike Nelson Mandela After Serving Jail Time

Judge Joe Brown is celebrating his freedom after doing the exact opposite of hard time -- 5 days in a Memphis jail for contempt of court -- and lashing out at the court that sent him to the pokey.

Judge Joe sounded off on TMZ Live today -- hours after his release -- accusing the Shelby County, Tennessee court system of widespread racism.

Brown goes as far as saying black lives don't matter in Shelby -- but believes he's now in good company after his brief stint in lockup. Think ... mini MLK or Mandela.