Lizbeth Fierro June 29, 2024 Just Mercy Journal 3 In the book Just Mercy covers the devastating and regularly misunderstood experiences of young individuals who have been given life sentences without a chance of bail in Chapters 8 through 11. These chapters provide a thorough review of the American system of justice, with special attention to how it handles those who are understated. The difficult truth of a system that places punishment above rehabilitation and often indifferences juvenile offenders' ability to grow and change is what mainly stands out in these parts. A disturbing example of this inequality is the case of Ian Manuel, who was sentenced to life in prison without a chance of bail for a crime he committed when he was only thirteen …show more content…
This part of the book points out the importance of systems that take into account the growth differences between adults and children, which has a strong connection to talks on juvenile justice changes. The case of Antonio Nez shows the role of socioeconomic and environmental factors in the development of criminal behavior. Nez grew up in a violent and disadvantaged neighborhood, and his path in life appeared almost determined. Stevenson's account of Nez's situation shows the larger broad faults that often appear before individual criminal acts. The study of Nez's life supports a more humane view of justice that takes into account the root cause of criminal behavior. It shows the importance of addressing basic problems like lack of opportunity, schooling, and community support in preventing crime, which is in keeping with the course material on socioeconomic factors that influence crime. As well as technical actions, Stevenson and his team's legal challenges to obtain justice for their clients are also highly personal missions motivated by a strong sense of social