Kayla Parriman Professor Dexheimer Intro to Criminal Justice April 16, 2024 Just Mercy “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson’s is a nonfiction book, specifically a memoir about Stevenson’s career as a lawyer and talks about his experiences as a lawyer defending disadvantaged clients. It focuses on judicial injustice in the United States and alternates chapters between Stevenson's efforts to overturn the wrongful conviction of Walter McMillian and his work on other cases. Bryan Stevenson is an American lawyer, social justice activist, law professor at New York University of Law, and the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. He has won United States Supreme Court decisions against mandatory sentences of death or life …show more content…
His call for mercy in the face of injustice impacts an emotional connection with readers, which inspires us to consider the larger effects of economic and racial inequality in society. He states, “The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated and the condemned” (pg18). This quote demonstrates the author's belief in how important it is to have empathy and compassion towards people who are disadvantaged or marginalized. Another quote that I think is very important in this book is “The closer we get to mass incarceration and extreme levels of punishment, the more I believe it’s necessary to recognize that we all need mercy, we all need justice, and perhaps we all need some measure of unmerited grace” (pg18). This quote stood out to me when reading this book. This phrase is crucial for readers to understand because it captures the central themes of the book and emphasizes its main point. After reading this book, it made me want to speak up against injustice, fight for change, and work for a society that is more fair and caring. “Just Mercy” gives us faith for a future in which justice and empathy are more seen in the