The author describes how people are easily condemned in our justice system and how we allow fear and anger to control our perceptions and actions towards others. Stevenson is an attorney who runs a project called “The Equal Justice Initiative”,
Whether it is institutional racism, racial profiling, unfair sentencing, and racial inequality; each of these issues were a constant theme throughout each case that he covered. It was surprising to see that to an outsider like Stevenson, was able address these issues that were so clear and apparent for every case. While for the prosecutors and judges involved, these issues were discarded and ignored. The case of Joe Sullivan was a prime example of this injustice. Sullivan was an impressionable young 13 year old boy that committed two burglaries with two older boys.
The novel Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson has brought to life the horrors of the prison system. Previously, I knew very little about the prison system, especially the level of injustice experienced by numerous prisoners. While I knew of the discrimination in the courtrooms for minorities, Stevenson’s stories added a personal touch to a harsh reality. I was especially shocked when Stevenson related the story of how he was stopped by police outside of his own house. Although he had done nothing wrong, the police immediately accused him of crimes, which he did not understand.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Alexander, M. (2012). The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: The New Press. Michelle Alexander in her book, "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" argues that law enforcement officials routinely racially profile minorities to deny them socially, politically, and economically as was accustomed in the Jim Crow era.
Stevenson advocates for the power of mercy and compassion in the criminal justice system. He emphasizes that mercy does not mean ignoring or minimizing wrongdoing but recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of every human being, including those who have committed crimes. Stevenson calls for systemic change and reform within the criminal justice system. He highlights the need to address racial bias, poverty, inadequate legal representation, and the dehumanizing conditions of prisons. He advocates for policies that prioritize fairness, equality, and rehabilitation over punishment and
Coker gives great evidence that supports racial injustice in the criminal justice system. She discusses on the Supreme Court’s rulings and accusations of racial preference in the system. This article is helpful because it supports my thesis on race playing a role on the system of criminal justice. Hurwitz, J., & Peffley, M. (1997). Public perceptions of race and crime: The role of racial stereotypes.
Stevenson’s ability to incorporate cases to support his claims allowed for his essay to feel real as well as personal. He began with the case of Walter McMillian, which I found to be interesting due to how unconstitutional both the investigation and trial had become. According to Stevenson, Walter McMillian’s case illustrated how the actions of the police, prosecutor, the bench, and a jury selected in a racially discriminatory manner can produce a capital murder conviction and sentence of death for a person who was innocent. In the end, McMillian was convicted of capital murder based solely on the testimony of Ralph Myers, a felon with a lengthy criminal record. After several evidentiary hearings and four years of litigation, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals finally overturned Mr. McMIllian’s conviction and death sentence based on the state’s failure to disclose favorable
The documentary, True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality is a tear-jerking exposé of the deep-seated racial bigotry that persists in the duplicitous “land of the free.” Specifically, as a public interest lawyer working on behalf of convicted minorities, the documentary’s motif accentuates Stevenson’s political hardships towards crusading for a more equitable criminal justice system. Consequently, as an ambitious and intricate undertaking, the film can be seen to obtain a multitude of thematic purposes. This is evident by the film’s predominantly political essence through its affirmation of the enduring legislative malice of the legalization of discrimination against the African American community. Yet, the film coincidently speaks
Bryan Stevenson, a public interest lawyer devoted to assisting the incarcerated, poor and condemned, shared his thoughts on how “we”, americans, cannot fully evolve due to the lack of consideration for human rights and basic dignity of all persons, in his recent Ted Talk, “We Need to Talk about Injustice”. Stevenson gives numerous statistics which shows the numbers growing in reference to people who have been incarcerated. He continues on to go into detail about unfairness throughout the justice system in America. Stevenson brings to light the issues amongst the justice system with various scenarios that have occurred in the past. I agree with Bryan Stevenson that America is flourishing when it comes to technological advancements and innovations,
Rather than offering simple, one-size-fits-all solutions, Stevenson advocates for a more holistic approach that involves acknowledging and addressing the underlying issues of inequality and discrimination that plague the justice system. One of the ways in which Stevenson suggests that these underlying issues can be addressed is through a greater understanding and acknowledgement of history. By understanding the long history of discrimination and oppression that has contributed to many of the problems he encounters in his work, he suggests that we can begin to address these issues in a more meaningful way. This approach highlights the complexity of the issues at hand and the need to consider multiple factors in order to create lasting change. Another aspect of Stevenson's approach is the importance of individual action and responsibility.
Michelle Alexander, similarly, points out the same truth that African American men are targeted substantially by the criminal justice system due to the long history leading to racial bias and mass incarceration within her text “The New Jim Crow”. Both Martin Luther King Jr.’s and Michelle Alexander’s text exhibit the brutality and social injustice that the African American community experiences, which ultimately expedites the mass incarceration of African American men, reflecting the current flawed prison system in the U.S. The American prison system is flawed in numerous ways as both King and Alexander points out. A significant flaw that was identified is the injustice of specifically targeting African American men for crimes due to the racial stereotypes formed as a result of racial formation. Racial formation is the accumulation of racial identities and categories that are formed, reconstructed, and abrogated throughout history.
Socioeconomic Bias in the Judicial System In a society where justice claims to be blind, the reality illustrates a severe contrast to this notion, especially highlighting racial bias within the legal system. In spite of recent efforts for equality, historical and modern contexts affirm an observable pattern of discrimination that disproportionality affects marginalized communities. With this in mind, it becomes rather apparent that tackling racial bias is crucial to establish a system where justice is fairly served to all, regardless of race or background. The United States judicial system takes on the guise of a “Free and Fair” evaluation of the accused, setting aside any preconceived notions in pursuit of a nondiscriminatory impartial system.
Harleen Shahi Non-Fiction Annotated Bibliography Crime and Punishment: Grisham, John. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town. N.p. Bantam Books, 2014. Print
In several different ways, the principle of equality of opportunity is relevant to the criminal justice system in the twenty-first century. John Rawls “assumes that we are self-interested, rational beings motivated to select laws, rules, and ways-of-life that are most advantageous to ourselves” (p. 117). The principle of equality is a theory that we all wish truly existed; however, it is unfortunate that it does not exist due to our own personal biases. Unconsciously, we all have biased and prejudicial thoughts—we are human and this tends to result on a reality based on social values; however, it does not make it correct. Unfortunately, we have not all learned to put our differences aside in order to get along.
It was around this time that I first saw the Rodney King beating along with the LA riots. I was in disbelieve of the entire situation. In this paper we will be looking into the racial disparity in prison sentencing. Young, African American and Latino males -especially if unemployed- are subject to particularly harsh sentencing compared to other offender populations.
