The Consequences Of Mass Incarceration In Just Mercy By Bryan Stevenson

In Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson depicted clearly the unfair ways the poor and the incarnated were treated in the criminal justice system. Stevenson educated his readers about the death penalty, women’s prison, and youth being tried as adult in the criminal system without being to overwhelm and factual. Another way Stevenson brought his novel to life is through his characters. Bryan Stevenson makes you feel every emotion his character went through; it was as if we went through every tribulation the characters had to endure. Stevenson also made his audience experience every joy and heartbreak that he went through as their defendant’s lawyer. Just Mercy is a novel that makes you look deeper into the world of the offenders and see why most deserve …show more content…
The whole book floated smoothly even as he introduced new topics. The book’s structure of shifting back and forth from stories worked favorably for me because it kept me focused on the book. For example, Stevenson did not finish Walter’s story in just one or two chapters, but told it throughout the entire book. I like how he left the story of Walter’s story hanging with the mystery of what will happen next on his case.
Stevenson helped me to see behind the law, and distinguish it in ways I never thought was possible. Stevenson speaks about the consequences of mass incarceration, and the affect it has on the individuals. He shows how mass incarceration created a new caste system that results in homelessness and unemployment. Not many people considers what happen to inmates after they are release and as a result a lot of ex con are left with limited resources. They are restricted from getting jobs, health insurance, and food stamps for themselves and their …show more content…
It was heartbroken to see how Walter was being treated. The judges, and everyone else involve in the case knew Walter was innocent but kept prosecuting him. Walter went through agony for six years until he finally earned his freedom. He had to stay in prison and witness a few of his cell mates being tortured by prison guards. Walter had to breathe in the Smokey air of burnt flesh as people were being killed on the electric chair. He lost six years of his life that could have been spent with family and friends. The stories told in Just Mercy was so compelling that it was almost impossible not to shed tears for what the victims had to experience. The way the inmates with mental illness were treated was so cruel. The justice system should have had better programs to help them adjust, and offer more protection. In the same way, the women in prison deserves as much protection as the criminal justice system can be afford. The women in prison are being raped, and