ipl-logo

Analysis Of Just Mercy By Bryan Stevenson

1072 Words5 Pages

A question we need to ask ourselves and our judicial system is if we should be able to kill, and who deserves the power to make that decision? Throughout history in America, our judicial system has always used retributive justice as a way to condemn crime and give out punishment. Retributive justice is a system that focuses on punishing the offender rather than preventing and rehabilitating. This way of dealing with crime has only harmed the people involved and created more problems like poverty, and unjust cases, and makes it harder for convicts to live life in the future. The book ‘Just Mercy’ written by Bryan Stevenson covers these issues that thousands of Americans face, even today. His book addresses systemic racism, the cause for most …show more content…

It argues that the over-reliance on punitive measures, such as incarceration, has disproportionately impacted marginalized communities, particularly people of color. Stevenson writes, "We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, an entire nation" (p. 18). This quote illustrates how the US legal system has failed to provide meaningful justice for those who have been impacted by crime, and has instead perpetuated cycles of violence and trauma. Through advocacy for restorative justice, we are able to call for a deeper examination of the role that the legal system can play in repairing harm and promoting healing. Underlining the systemic issues within the US legal system, particularly the over-reliance on punitive measures and the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. Promoting restorative justice calls for a shift in the legal system towards a more compassionate and just approach that prioritizes healing and repair. The criminal justice system has continuously overlooked the issues that it causes with the use of a retributive system in …show more content…

"Mass incarceration has become a kind of intractable social problem in America," he argues, "one that is disproportionately visited upon the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable" (p. 9). This phrase exemplifies how the American legal system has failed to offer meaningful justice for individuals harmed by crime, instead perpetuating cycles of violence and pain. Advocating for restorative justice plays in addressing these challenges by emphasizing systemic concerns within the US legal system. Restorative justice can be a significant instrument for decreasing judicial system harm and facilitating healing in marginalized communities. Furthermore, by emphasizing the importance of recognizing the humanity of all individuals impacted by the legal system and treating them with dignity and respect. The support for restorative justice stems from a strong commitment to social justice and the notion that the US judicial system must fundamentally change its approach to encourage healing and repair injustice. Focusing on mass imprisonment and punishment helps cause the pain and trouble that people involved in America’s justice system face every day due to the ignorant, constant system that is still

Show More
Related
1529 Words | 7 Pages

This process will ensure that each offender receives the proper punishment and that the community is satisfied with the decision. The offender-based models, retributive and utilitarian, does not help the victim recover. Restorative justice is designed

Read More
555 Words | 3 Pages

Is each person defined by the worst thing that they have done? Can we as a society approve of hunting down and attacking the most vulnerable of people due to their vulnerability? Is it acceptable for the law to determine who deserves to die and who doesn’t? “Just Mercy” prompts its readers to explore these questions and many more. In this book,  Bryan Stevenson, lawyer, social activist, and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, documents his time as a young lawyer in Montgomery, Alabama working to save death row prisoners and those wrongfully accused and incarcerated.

Read More
1033 Words | 5 Pages

110). According to the author, the aim of restorative justice is to heal communities from an incident where people were harmed and, ideally, help prevent the same thing from happening again. I believe that, there is going to be a higher possibility of crime reduction in schools and in different neighborhood if victims and offenders mediate a restitution agreement to the satisfaction of each other. In conjunction to this, if the government can be more committed in supporting these approaches, I believe that there will be a massive drop in crime

Read More
1236 Words | 5 Pages

Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy exposes several ethical failures that permeate the criminal justice system, reflecting a profound disregard for human dignity and justice. Firstly, the book highlights the systemic racism that unjustly targets minorities (Stevenson, 2014). The disproportionate incarceration of African Americans, despite constituting a small percentage of the population, is a testament to the biased application of laws and policies. The pervasive racial profiling, leading to discriminatory arrests and excessive bail amounts, further perpetuates this injustice. Secondly, Stevenson highlights indigent defendants' lack of adequate legal representation (Stevenson, 2014).

Read More
849 Words | 4 Pages

This type of justice system is designed very differently when compared with the retributive justice system. The restorative justice system endeavours to bring the victim and the offender together and allow them to speak with each other in the hopes to support the healing process. It will enable the victims to express themselves to the offender and lets the offender apologize and express their feelings to the victim. The restorative justice system often offers the victims of crime closure. The system encourages both parties to reveal themselves to each other and develop a solution for the future to satisfy both parties involved.

Read More
1895 Words | 8 Pages

The Center for Justice, directed by Jeffery Robinson, is focused on the problems in the U.S. criminal justice system, including the treatment of prisoners, the death penalty and the policies of over-incarceration that have led the United States to imprison more people than any other country in the world. The Center for Justice includes the National Prison Project, the Criminal Law Reform Project and the Capital Punishment

Read More
391 Words | 2 Pages

Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men depicts the flaws of the American justice system notably well. And while no individual can easily change a broken system, a large group of people can push for change. Every individual counts. Even

Read More
1728 Words | 7 Pages

The United States has a larger percent of its population incarcerated than any other country. America is responsible for a quarter of the world’s inmates, and its incarceration rate is growing exponentially. The expense generated by these overcrowded prisons cost the country a substantial amount of money every year. While people are incarcerated for several reasons, the country’s prisons are focused on punishment rather than reform, and the result is a misguided system that fails to rehabilitate criminals or discourage crime. This literature review will discuss the ineffectiveness of the United States’ criminal justice system and how mass incarceration of non-violent offenders, racial profiling, and a high rate of recidivism has become a problem.

Read More
1479 Words | 6 Pages

Today our justice system has a multitude of options when dealing with those who are convicted of offenses. However, many argue that retributive justice is the only real justice there is. This is mainly because its advantage is that it gives criminals the appropriate punishment that they deserve. The goals of this approach are clear and direct. In his book The Little Book of Restorative Justice, Zehr Howard (2002), illustrates that the central focus of retributive justice is offenders getting what they deserve (p. 30).

Read More
1050 Words | 5 Pages

One primary aspect which the retributive system fails to consider is the future deeds of the offender who is set free after a significant period of conviction. The question which remains unanswered is: does the person commit further harm after he is released or he moves ahead in life as a law-abiding citizen? The restorative justice concept takes a foot forward to answer this question by improving the tripartite relationship of victim-offender-society and seeks to address the harm rather than only punishing for the crime committed. Restorative justice has emerged globally as a viable response to the harm caused by crime. In common parlance, it has been described as a “process whereby all the parties with a stake in a particular offence come together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and its implications for the future.”

Read More
698 Words | 3 Pages

1. Restorative justice: Its meaning, key principles, and models Restorative justice is a collaborative approach to addressing conflicts or criminal behavior that focuses on repairing harm and restoring relationships between victims, offenders, and the community. It seeks to balance the needs of all those affected by a violation, empowering them to participate in the resolution process, and emphasizing personal accountability and growth for the offender. The primary goals of restorative justice are to repair harm, restore relationships, and reintegrate those involved back into the community.

Read More
117 Words | 1 Pages

Restorative Justice processes are likely to reduce criminals from repeating offenses, as numerous recidivism studies have demonstrated. Thus, it would be more than justified to employ restorative processes a response to crimes under

Read More
919 Words | 4 Pages

Introduction: The foundation of victim’s rights and services is built on the ideas of restorative justice. “Injustices involving large-scale wrong doing historically lead to cycles of further violence and hatred” (Kaphake, 2004). During the end of the twentieth century, a growing number of organizational/ non-profits began to adopt a way that seeks to restore the rights and lives of the victim. Restorative justice theory is most often associated with courts and the criminal justice system.

Read More
2091 Words | 9 Pages

Batley (2005) stated that restorative justice is about restoring, healing and re- integrating victims, offenders, as well as the society and also preventing further harm. In this assignment, I will be discussing approaches to restorative justice and illustrating their advantages and disadvantages to offending. I will also provide the applications of these five approaches of restorative justice which are retributive approach, utilitarian deterrence approach, rehabilitation approach, restitution approach and restorative approach in the given case study. I will then explain my preferred approach to justice through identifying a personal belief or value that underpins my choice.

Read More
1637 Words | 7 Pages

In recent years, many legislators have attempted to address victims’ rights within the criminal justice system (Meadows, 2014). The Victim’s Bill of Rights provides protections to victims of crimes” (Garner, 2015). Everyone has rights and individuals who had crimes committed against

Read More

More about Analysis Of Just Mercy By Bryan Stevenson

Related Topics

Open Document