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Injustices in the criminal justice system
Injustices in the criminal justice system
Unfair justice systems
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Injustices in the criminal justice system
Injustices in the criminal justice system
Unfair justice systems
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Injustices in the criminal justice system
Bryan, the protagonist of Bryan Stevenson's novel Just Mercy, is depicted as a well-dressed, bearded black lawyer who is both ambitious and knowledgeable, demonstrating to the reader that Bryan is an amazing lawyer who wants to help save people on death row. Bryan describes himself when he says, "I was a bearded black male, and I was trying to meet the court’s expectations of what a lawyer looks like. " This shows that Bryan takes his job seriously and is willing to please the court and show the court he’ll dress nicely just to help win his case with Walter. Bryan also shows that he has the ambition to help defend condemned people on death row and is willing to do anything to help them win their case when he says that he is "determined to do
Throughout Just Mercy Mr. Stevenson listens to many people to gather more information pertaining to his clients. One evening Mr. Stevenson went to see Walter's wife and daughter to give them the newest information about Walter. Hw ended up being brought to a trailer home where the rest of the family are there waiting to tell Mr. Stevenson as much as they can that will aid in Walters release. Later, he also listens to Mr. Myers when he tells the truth of what really happened on the day of Rhonda Morrison's murder. The information Mr. Stevenson received during this part of the book was vital information needed for Waiter's release.
At this point, I am half way done with Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. While reading this book, I have made many personal connections and opinions. To give you some background on this book, I will explain a little bit of what I've obtained so far. Just Mercy is a memoir about a lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, who exposes the flaws in the justice system. Many of the flaws that he reveals are cases of racism; where prejudice prevails over evidence.
Just Mercy is an astonishing book in which Bryan Stevenson describes many court cases of mental illnesses and racial inequalities. Stevenson is a young defended attorney who shared his experiences about his client’s background and what is going on in the justice system. While meeting up with his client, he noticed many connection and similarities through most of his cases. He discovered that his clients had all gone through many hardships while they were in prison. While these clients were at risk from execution, they revealed that they were falsely accused of the crime they did not even commit.
Just Mercy really makes the reader think as they read and makes them sympathize with the plights of both Stevenson and his clients. Stevenson’s novel definitely deserves to belong on the bestseller
Question 1: Think back to your views before you began to read Stevenson’s book. What, if anything, in this book surprised you? How did this book challenge your beliefs on any of the following? The criminal justice system Capital punishment Legal representation Poverty
“There is a strength, a power even, in understanding brokenness, because embracing our brokenness creates a need and desire for mercy, and perhaps a corresponding need to show mercy (Stevenson 109) .” This bold statement is one of many as Bryan Stevenson sets the tone for his renowned award winning novel Just Mercy. As a young lawyer from Georgia, built the foundation for his company, SPDC (Southern Prisoners Defense Committee) to help convicts that are on death row or in need a second chance. Bryan Stevenson, a young lawyer from Georgia who fought for justice on the behalf of inmates on death row, showed tremendous intelligence in becoming a successful lawyer, demanding for not backing down in moments of refusal, and was an overall advocate
In Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, he writes to illustrate the injustices of the judicial system to its readers. To do so, Stevenson utilizes multiple writing styles that provide variety and helps keep the reader engaged in the topic. Such methods of his include the use of anecdotes from his personal experiences, statistics, and specific facts that apply to cases Stevenson had worked on as well as specific facts that pertain to particular states. The most prominent writing tool that Stevenson included in Just Mercy is the incorporation of anecdotes from cases that he himself had worked on as a nonprofit lawyer defending those who were unrightfully sentenced to die in prison.
The book calls for significant reform, including increased resources for legal representation, greater accountability for those in positions of authority, and addressing the root causes of injustice. Like when Steveneson stated, "The power of just mercy is that it belongs to the undeserving. It's when mercy is least expected that it's most potent—strong enough to break the cycle of victimization and victimhood, retribution and suffering". The greatest threats to justice presented in the book are the abuse of power by those in authority and the lack of resources for marginalized
There are many victims of unfortunate circumstances in the world today, yet some of these results could have been easily avoided. In the novel, Just Mercy, the author Bryan Stevenson addresses many cases in which children under the age of 18 are incarcerated within the adult criminal justice system. By treating children as adults in the criminal justice system their innocence and undeveloped person, become criminalized. These children become dehumanized and only viewed as full-fledged criminals and as a result society offers no chance sympathy towards them. Stevenson argues that children tried as adults have become damaged and traumatized by this system of injustice.
In Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson concludes “the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice,” and by this he means that when there is no justice, most people will live in poverty, despair, and fear. Despair is the complete loss of all hope, and each of these characters felt that feeling. Bryan Stevenson was stopped and searched by the police, and he was full of fear because one officer had pulled a gun on him. Fear, Police rely on fear to break the law and do as they wish, because they know a majority of people are scared to go against the police. In chapter 3, Walter McMillian was in jail awaiting his trial and eventual execution, this alone drove him into a pit of despair.
The arguments are presented in climactic order, giving the audience time to take in his bold message. The first 5 minutes are used to introduce the speaker himself, and thus showing his character and virtues by his anecdote about his past. In doing so, the speaker proves the validity of his argument, that he’s not just another man who feels as though there is injustice, but that he is a man who is aware of the ongoing injustice, very real, and very saddening. The next part, from the 5 minute mark to 10 minutes into the talk, Mr. Stevenson talks about current injustice in the justice system not only towards people of race, but also people in poverty. The speaker uses many real life statistics in this part of his talk.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. By Bryan Stevenson. Spiegel & Grau, 2015. Pp. 368.
Poverty in Just Mercy “The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, and the accused” (Stevenson 18). Thousands of people live in poverty and struggle every day with many of their basic needs. They struggle with being able to buy food, shelter, clothing, and access to medical care. People in poverty don’t have access to good legal support because they simply can’t afford it.
A silent voice by Yoshitoki Ōima, The book starts off with a new girl who went to a new school but when she was introducing herself to the class she wrote down on a notebook saying that she is deaf and hopes to get to know everyone and if people want to talk to her just write on her notebook. The teacher was telling people to read some sentence on the book he tells this one girl to speak up and then when he called on the deaf girl she tried to speak and the teacher called on someone else and it was a boy who hated her he made fun of how she was talking. There was some reason that the boy hated her reason 1 was that she gave him the creeps and reason 2 was that she dragged everyone else down with here her the third reason was that they all got tired of dealing with her. In choir she tried to sing but everyone could not sing well