Justice And Redemption In Just Mercy By Bryan Stevenson

Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson, is a profoundly emotional and enlightening story of the injustices faced by those in poverty and of color due to the criminal justice system. The book follows the story of Stevenson’s experience representing the poor and marginalized as he fights in court to free the wrongly convicted and improve the system. The characters in the book range from the clients he represents in court to the judges, lawyers, and other court personnel that Stevenson deals with. Through Stevenson’s story, the themes of redemption, justice, and mercy become evident, and this paper will analyze how these themes are depicted and explore how they can apply to the reader. Redemption is the idea that people can grow, learn, and be forgiven for their mistakes. In the book, Stevenson tells the story of Walter McMillian, a wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death row. McMillian’s story demonstrates the power of redemption, as Stevenson and his team help him prove his innocence and eventually win his freedom. McMillian’s story is one of redemption, as he goes from being wrongfully convicted of murder to being free and forgiven. Stevenson

Stevenson shows that justice is not always applied relatively, as in the case of McMillian, who was wrongfully convicted. Another example is the story of Henry Montgomery, a man convicted of murder as a teenager and sentenced to life in prison. Through Montgomery’s story, Stevenson demonstrates that justice is not always served, as he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole due to a law that was changed after his conviction. In addition, Stevenson argues that “it is not justice to sentence a juvenile to life in prison without any consideration of his age or his background” (Stevenson 105). Through these stories, Stevenson shows the reader that justice is not always served and that the criminal justice system requires