Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson exhibits the theme instead of punishment, society should focus on mercy and empathy; specifically within the criminal justice system. Stevenson is an American lawyer, professor at New York School of Law, social justice activist, and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Mercy- to have compassion or forgiveness towards someone within terms of punishment or harm. In turn, “Just Mercy” conveys that Stevenson has mercy towards the cases he encounters whether he turns them down or accepts them, the court system has to take mercey into consideration when hearing a case, and the accused have to have mercy for themselves in order to accept help and hope to be taken off of death row. All one needs in life is just mercey.
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However, the main profile that Stevenson reports on is a black man by the name of Walter McMillian who was wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to murder in the state of Alabama around the late 1980s. Evidence on the history of the criminal justice and prison system as well as his own encounters as a lawyer in the structure. The main argument of the biography is that instead of focusing on criticism and punishment, society should turn their focus to a more mercy and compassionate …show more content…
As a Harvard Law School attendee, Stevenson lands an internship Southern Prisoners Defense Committee (SPDC) where the topic of death row inmates is presented. The first death row inmate he meets is a guy named Henry, a young black male who remind him of the other kids in his personal life. As they talk for three hours Stevenson is filled with empathy and receptiveness. Henry is no longer just a client, but a friend and the wall between client and lawyer begins to dissolve. In this moment, Stevenson discovers his passion to fight against the death penalty and prison justice. As a committed part of the SPDC, he relocates to atlanta in order to put all of his time into the committee. However, Stevenson changes his life once again and moves to Alabama in order to start his own organization, the Equal Justice Initiative (EJL). Trina Garrett, Antonio Núñez, Ian Manuel, Joe Sullivan, Evan Millerand, and Ashley Jones are among the few cases that Stevenson takes on, all relating to children who have suffered from different forms of trauma, abuse, or neglect within their past history, before their crimes were committed. He also draws out how easily juvenile offenders are abused within the prison system. EJI ultimately wins two distinctive Supreme Court cases banning life sentences
However, the main profile that Stevenson reports on is a black man by the name of Walter McMillian who was wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to murder in the state of Alabama around the late 1980s. Evidence on the history of the criminal justice and prison system as well as his own encounters as a lawyer in the structure. The main argument of the biography is that instead of focusing on criticism and punishment, society should turn their focus to a more mercy and compassionate …show more content…
As a Harvard Law School attendee, Stevenson lands an internship Southern Prisoners Defense Committee (SPDC) where the topic of death row inmates is presented. The first death row inmate he meets is a guy named Henry, a young black male who remind him of the other kids in his personal life. As they talk for three hours Stevenson is filled with empathy and receptiveness. Henry is no longer just a client, but a friend and the wall between client and lawyer begins to dissolve. In this moment, Stevenson discovers his passion to fight against the death penalty and prison justice. As a committed part of the SPDC, he relocates to atlanta in order to put all of his time into the committee. However, Stevenson changes his life once again and moves to Alabama in order to start his own organization, the Equal Justice Initiative (EJL). Trina Garrett, Antonio Núñez, Ian Manuel, Joe Sullivan, Evan Millerand, and Ashley Jones are among the few cases that Stevenson takes on, all relating to children who have suffered from different forms of trauma, abuse, or neglect within their past history, before their crimes were committed. He also draws out how easily juvenile offenders are abused within the prison system. EJI ultimately wins two distinctive Supreme Court cases banning life sentences