Just Mercy By Bryan Stevenson - 1963 Words

Are some lives worth more than others? Are some lives worthy to be considered lives at all? Bryan Stevenson aims to answer that in his book Just Mercy. In it, he explores the American justice system and its systemic prejudice, whether it’s based on race, income, or gender. Stevenson is a lawyer who founded the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), an Alabama-based nonprofit that aims to defend those who have been unfairly represented or unjustly imprisoned, and Just Mercy is a compilation of some of the cases he encountered during his time. Just Mercy is a collection of redemption and corruption--almost everyone he represents in the story finds their freedom from the unnecessarily harsh sentences they were given. In every other chapter he details the stories of multiple people punished by the legal system, including women and children. It is notable that throughout these chapters Stevenson emphasizes real, human connections with his clients to shine light on how distant and unjust t he prison system is. In a system where these people are given subhuman treatment, Stevenson reaffirms their inherent dignity and cares for them. This has a profound effect on them and the people around them, seen especially in the cases of Charlie (Chapter 6), Joe Sullivan (Chapter 14), and Avery Jenkins (Chapter 10). Chapter 6, â€Å"Surely Doomed†, is about Charlie, a little boy no more than fourteen arrested and tried as an adult. He was arrested for the murder of his mother’s abusive boyfriend,Show MoreRelatedJust Mercy By Stevenson Bryan Essay1297 Words   |  6 PagesJust Mercy was written in 2014 by Stevenson Bryan. This story takes place in Montgomery Alabama. This story is about the broken system of justice. How people are judged unfairly even in the supreme Court. Bryan Stevenson primarily focuses on death penalty cases and juveniles sentenced to life or death. He provides relief for those incarcerated also, he understands the need to fix this criminal justice system by focusing on poverty, and racial disparities. Stevenson chooses cases that did not receiveRead MoreBryan Stevenson : Just Mercy1453 Words   |  6 Pages Bryan Stevenson: Just Mercy Maya Pimentel Middle College High School Intro Many are put onto death row without actually having a fighting chance to plead their case, provide the full story, and prove their innocence. Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer who fights for those who have been left for dead and aren’t given a second chance. Bryan Stevenson is a social justice activist, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and a clinical professorRead MoreJust Mercy By Bryan Stevenson1742 Words   |  7 PagesThe novel, Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson covers many aspects of the legal system, including Stevenson’s quest to get prisoners who were convicted as adolescents out of adult prison. Through Stevenson’s experiences, he sees first hand experience of children that are sent to adult prisons. Specifically he saw how the prisoners who were convicted as children revert to a very low mental state and often have a great deal of trouble readjusting if they are even remotely capable of doing so. One of theseRead MoreJust Mer cy By Bryan Stevenson993 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Just mercy† written by Bryan Stevenson is a story about â€Å"justice and redemption†(title). Bryan Stevenson tells the story about Walter McMillian a convicted murder. McMillian was unjustly charged for the murder of Ronda Morrison by Ralph Myers even though there was clear evidence that McMillian did not commit this murder. McMillian’s story proves the inequities in the American justice system, and Stevenson proves the faults in the system by telling McMillian’s story. â€Å"Proximity has taught me someRead MoreJust Mercy By Bryan Stevenson1654 Words   |  7 PagesChildren Are Not Adults The novel, Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson covers many aspects of the legal system, including Stevenson’s quest to get prisoners who were convicted as adolescents out of adult prison. Later, Stevenson sees how the prisoners who were convicted as children revert to a very low mental state and often have a great deal of trouble readjusting if they are even remotely capable of doing so. Children should never be pushed into adult prisons or receive adult punishments because ofRead MoreJust Mercy By Bryan Stevenson1633 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel, Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson, Stevenson explains his quest to get prisoners, who were originally convicted when they were adolescents, out of adult prison. Later, Stevenson sees how the prisoners who were convicted as children revert to a very low mental state and often have a great deal of trouble readjusting if they are even remotely capable of doing so. That is why children should never be pushed into adult prisons or receive a dult punishments because of their lack of brain developmentRead MoreJust Mercy By Bryan Stevenson1519 Words   |  7 Pages Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy, is a lawyer from the rural south that advocates for mostly children on death row. He spends most of his time in low income communities with next to no hope. His TED talk was based on his experiences in these communities, his career, and his knowledge regarding minorities while addressing his predominately financially stable, White audience. Trying to persuade an audience that is not effected by what you are trying to speak against is hard, however, Bryan StevensonRead MoreJust Mercy By Bryan Stevenson2043 Words   |  9 PagesThe start of the book, Just Mercy, grabbed me pretty quick, but I was thinking â€Å"why are we reading a book about a lost soul who is going to spend his time with people who are sentenced to die for the horrible crimes they committed?† I soon started to realize the true story was much more than that and I would read a story about right and wrong and receive a message about the goodness and mercy of humans towards each other. The story is told by Bryan Stevenson, the author and a graduate of HarvardRead MoreJust Mercy By Bryan Stevenson903 Words   |  4 Pages In his memoir Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson recounts the stories of several clients whose mental illness was ignored during their trial. Some had intellectual disabilities, others were dealing with the aftermath of severe trauma, but each one was changed in some way. Whether their reasoning had been altered or they simply did not understand what was happening, any crime they committed was closely tied to their mental state. Logically, a major detail like the defendant’s thought process and motivationRead MoreJust Mercy By Bryan Stevenson Essay1730 Words   |  7 PagesIn the book â€Å"Just Mercy† by Bryan Stevenson, the author is a lawyer and founder of the Equal Injustice Initiative who helps and defends those that are in desperate needs. Stevenson tells different stories of different cases that he had through the course of his professional career. One of the most heartbreaking stories that Stevenson shares on his books is about a boy named Charlie. Charlie is a fourt een years old who murdered his stepfather because he was abusive with his mom and left her unconscious