Just Mercy Summary

1) Bryan Stevenson’s purpose of writing about his grandfather’s death in his book Just Mercy is to explain how hard it is to deal with children’s crime without knowing or understanding their lives. Many children who commit crimes have grown up in hard situations. Children at the age of twelve to eighteen are going through many changes during that time, like puberty. They are also still very immature and their brains are not fully developed yet. Stevenson also explains, “Young adolescents lack life experiences and background knowledge to inform their choices,” unlike adults teenagers do not have the best judgment for issues and do not necessarily understand the consequences that come from their actions. This is why Stevenson fights against the death row put against children.
2) Bryan Stevenson believes that “our brokenness is also the source of our common humanity.” I assume this means that the treatment people receive from their oppressor breaks them, and

what breaks them gives them compassion and shows their true humanity. I neither agree, nor disagree. I believe that a lot of our humanity comes from our own brokenness, but I also believe that our humanity can come from others brokenness. Stevenson’s client Jimmy Dill shot the victim and recovered fine, but later died when his caretaker left him. Dill was charged with capital murder and was later executed, when this should not have happened. If Dill’s lawyer had properly explained the plea the state had given him he would not have been executed.
3) Bryan Stevenson explains that peoples fear and anger can judge whether or not you receive justice.

There are too many prisons that are incarcerating people of crimes they did not do, and too many of these people are being charged and sentenced to death unjustly. Stevenson also believes that too many of these victims are vulnerable minorities. Trina Garnett’s case really struck me when reading this book. Just like Judge Reed I think Garnett had the saddest case. I cannot believe that a state would send a thirteen year old child (who is incapable of speaking up for herself) to prison for life. When she was later raped by a correctional officer all they did was fired the guy, but did not arrest him. In the end the state never gave her any financial aid to compensate for being raped by their own guard. Garnett received extremely excessive punishment. I read that after forty years in prison Garnett may be released from prison this makes me happy; however, I believe that she should have been released many years

ago.