Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.

Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.

A Story of Justice and Redemption

Just Mercy

Boothby

I thought of the victims of violent crime and the survivors of murdered loved ones, and how we’ve pressured them to recycle their pain and anguish and give it back to the offenders we prosecute. I thought of the many ways we’ve legalized vengeful and cruel punishments, how we’ve allowed our victimization to justify the victimization of others. We’ve submitted to the harsh instinct to crush those among us whose brokenness is most visible. But simply punishing the broken—walking away from them or hiding them from sight—only ensures that they remain broken and we do, too. There is no wholeness outside of our reciprocal humanity.

From a conversation Bryan had with a woman who frequently attends trials to comfort families

Then it got to the point where some of the ones grieving the most were the ones whose children or parents were on trial, so I just started letting anybody lean on me who needed it. All these young children being sent to prison forever, all this grief and violence. Those judges throwing people away like they’re not even human, people shooting each other, hurting each other like they don’t care. I don’t know, it’s a lot of pain. I decided that I was supposed to be here to catch some of the stones people cast at each other.”

Rebecca Zucker

Walter had taught me that mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given. Mercy is most empowering, liberating, and transformative when it is directed at the undeserving. The people who haven't earned it, who haven't even sought it, are the most meaningful recipients of our compassion.

In fact, there is a strength, a power even, in understanding brokenness, because embracing brokenness creates a need and desire for mercy, and perhaps a corresponding need to show mercy. When you experience mercy, you learn things that are hard to learn otherwise. You see things you can't otherwise see: you hear things you can't otherwise hear. You begin to recognize the humanity that resides in each of us.

But simply punishing the broken- walking away from them or hiding them from sight - only ensures that they remain broken and we do, too. There is no wholeness outside of our reciprocal humanity.

thing that the writer Thomas Merton said: We are bodies of broken bones. I guess I'd always known but never fully considered that being broken is what makes us human. We all have our reasons. Sometimes we're fractured by the choices we make; sometimes we're shattered by things we would never have chosen. But our brokenness is also the source of our common humanity, the basis for our shared search for comfort, meaning, and healing. Our shared vulnerability and imperfection nurtures and sustains our capacity for compassion. 

We are all broken by something. We have all hurt someone and have been hurt. We all share the condition of brokenness even if our brokenness is not equivalent.

"capital punishment means 'them without the capital get the punishment.'"

"I kept thinking about what had happened. I began to feel embarrassed that I hadn't asserted more control during the encounter. I hadn't told the officers I was a lawyer or informed them that what they were doing was illegal. Should I have said more to them?"

"America's prisons have become warehouses for the mentally ill."

"Today, over 50 percent of prison and jail inmates in the United States have a diagnosed mental illness, a rate nearly five times greater than that of the general adult population. Nearly one in five prison and jail inmates has a serious mental illness. In fact, there are more than three times the number of seriously mentally ill individuals in jail or prison than in hospitals; in some states that number is ten times."

"Oh, I think we can always do better. The bad things that happen to us don't define us."

"But simply punishing the broken -- walking away from them or hiding them from sight -- only ensures that they remain broken and we do, too. There is no wholeness outside of our reciprocal humanity."

"Whenever things got really bad, and they were questioning the value of their lives, I would remind them that each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done."

"I am more than broken. In fact, 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 writes with an incredible power and clarity of purpose. Skillfully blends history with discussions of modern legal processes, and ties every case he works on with its full context. Everything is concretely grounded in the experiences of his clients

Hannah Yang

a powerful glimpse of present-day america's death row / criminal justice system and its entanglement with issues such as poverty, racism, mental illness, domestic violence and abuse, criminalization of substance abuse, political corruption, modern-day slavery, and more. thanks to social media, these subjects were not brand-new to me, but i was still repeatedly horrified when reading about the cruel lifetimes of suffering that the u.s. subjects its poorest and most vulnerable children and families to for even the smallest misdemeanors. bryan stevenson writes accessibly and engagingly about topics and individual stories that are infuriating, heartbreaking, and unbelievable, but unfortunately common. i think anyone will learn a lot from this must-read.

"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."

laia

I started reading the book when I read the news of Brandon Bernard’s appeal for a delay of his execution got denied and finished it two days later. It pains me so much to see the unjust system that was built upon racism and bigotry keeps allowing people of color’s lives get taken away as if theirs mean less than anyone else’s. I hope all the surviving death row inmates (especially those who are wrongly accused) get the chance to have adequate legal assistance and be represented once again by other Bryans out there. No country has the right to tell who deserves and who doesn’t deserve to die, especially not a country that has a flawed justice system. Death penalty gives us nothing but a reason for those bigots to assassinate people of color. My heart truly aches for those people who died in the hands of people who serve this rigged system. Rest in peace.

So.good. Such an eye-opening, hopeful, informative book that is so beautifully written. This books smacks you straight in the face with facts about how messed up America’s judicial and prison systems are. I knew it was bad, but I didn’t know it was THIS bad. My heart ached so many times for the people in this book and the thousands of others still facing this broken system. 

Payten Bovat

A True Story of the Fight for Justice

MK Rosencrants

Devastating
Uplifting
Heartbreaking
Redeeming
Thought-provoking

There is so much to unpack with this book and there are waves of emotions as you go through it. Personally, I have already been through my highlights twice to make note of things that I need to be more active about and keep my focus on. The book points out many legislative issues that need addressing (mainly the need for real prison reform not Jared playing politician reform) and so many heartbreaking examples. 

If you read this book for no other reason, read for the knowledge that there are still people out there like Bryan Stevenson, Americans who can and do make a difference. Great book, highly recommended.

Kristen Claiborn

During 2020, like the majority of the world, I was at home everyday trying to avoid getting Covid-19. It was pretty miserable. I was also glued to the news in an effort to make sense out of the chaos and uncertainty that a global pandemic brought into my little (and up until then, pretty safe and cozy) life. Then on May 25 of that same year, a man named George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis, and the world became even more chaotic. While the entire world watched, a group of police murdered Floyd on the street in front of a convenience store, all because of what the clerk at the store believed was fake money. In reality, he was murdered because of the color of his skin. The murder of Floyd prompted millions of people to take to the streets to protest not only police brutality, but also racism and racial inequality. I watched from my couch, captivated by the millions of people who took to the streets, and I wanted to know more about why they were so compelled to have their voices heard. So, I do what I always do: I read. I read so many books about the history of racism in the United States that my own point of view shifted. Our history of racism is so appalling, and somehow, I didn’t know about much of it. 
	This was one of the few times I saw the movie before I read the book, but in my defense, I didn’t know this book existed when the movie was being played on every channel at all times of the day. (Also…Michael B. Jordan was a bit of a motivator) While it took me another two years to finally read this book, thanks to my online book club, I finally did. The movie focuses on the case of Walter McMillian and the disgusting travesty of justice that man had to go through, but the book contains so much more. Interspersed throughout the story of McMillian, Bryan Stevenson includes stories of other injustices that he has worked on through his underfunded and desperately needed organization called the Equal Justice Initiative. EJI has helped overturn the wrongful convictions of hundreds of people, from children to those whose only crimes seemed to be the color of their skin. The information Stevenson includes regarding those cases is devastating and mind-blowing. I strongly suggest anybody with a pulse read this book. 
	There are plenty of minds that can’t be changed and simply won’t be changed. Racism is going to be an ongoing battle, but we can’t defeat it without having the power of knowledge. My own husband recently read something that blew him away and made him think about the history of racial oppression in the US. Every little piece of knowledge is a hole in the enemy that racism truly is.

Megan Snodgrass

Y'all, it's been two weeks and I still can't stop thinking about this book. When I say this book made me want to quit my job and go to law school to join in on this work I'm not kidding. A powerful and eye opening read is an understatement. I recommend for anyone to read and think about their stance on the death penalty and our current justice system.

Cindy Lieberman

“The accumulated insults and indignations caused by racial presumptions are destructive in ways that are hard to measure. Constantly being suspected, accused, watched, doubted, distrusted, presumed guilty, and even feared is a burden borne by people of color that can’t be understood or confronted without a deeper conversation about our history of racial injustice.”
- Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy

I would say this is a timely book, but the sad truth is that the topic has been (too) timely for decades. Willful deceit within the American judicial system, perpetrated by some corrupt actors, has brought us to our sorry state. It’s heartening to see people of all races and ages coming together in now-peaceful protests, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with store owners and police officers to keep would-be looters at bay. Americans want change. America must change. Americans, please vote in November!

Belle

This book was hard to read because it was so frustrating. It was full of ridiculous examples of people involved in the "justice" system abusing their power, of racism, hatred, and bigotry, and of unbelievable decisions that fly in the face of all reason. It was full of sad stories of people punished and struggling due largely to their circumstances.

But it was also highly educational and encouraging. I learned a lot about the history of racial tension in the U.S. and the process of trying to get justice for people wrongly convicted or unfairly punished.

sophia n

wow. the depth and detail in which this book went into the horror stories of mass incarceration and systemic racism that has repeatedly harmed, failed, unjustly treated, and killed black people was truly painful and emotionally exhausting to experience, and because of that, very important to face and read. this was both deeply sad and deeply hopeful, and i'm so glad i read it, even though it took me quite some time to get through. i was struggling with processing my own anger the injustices in the countless stories stevenson tells here, especially of people who he names in the book but could not help. i kept finding myself having to pause and put the book down for days after hearing just one person's story and how horribly they had been mistreated and abused, but this story is unflinching in it's fight, and i cried a lot and feel privileged to have read it.

“Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done. My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice. Finally, I’ve come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.”

side note, very strong trigger warnings for pretty much the whole gamut of physical and sexual abuse, trauma, mental illness, violent crimes, and more.

Jayme Bosio

I've written and rewritten this review five times now, and I'm weighed down with all the emotions this book brought to the surface. My reaction to this book is so visceral that it seems to have shut off my ability for speech. "Upsetting" is too weak of a word to describe this book, but I can't think of another one. Is there a word to describe the feeling when someone just tortured you with the truth for weeks and then set you free out into the world carrying all your broken pieces? I don't know. I wish I could say that I was shocked by Walter's tale of spending years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, but I'm not. These systems that are supposed to protect us, to educate us, to heal us - they are failing us. I find some comfort in knowing for all the injustices, there are people out there to fight them. But I think I'm more angry that this fight has been going on for so long, and there does not appear to be an end in sight.

Satya Nelms

I don’t usually write a review along with my rating, but I was so moved by this book. I took nearly a month to read it (which is a long time for me), but not because it wasn’t captivating, but because I found myself needing to sit with the chapters. There were many times I was moved to tears and just needed the time to compose myself before I continued. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone should read it.

Tracie McMurray

This book made me want to do something about the corruption, racism and injustices of mass incarceration in America. This book could have sounded preachy, instead it uses factual cases to prove the point that all are not equal in America. I highly recommend it.

Dana Kraft

This is a powerful book - scary, heartbreaking and inspiring. My two favorite things were:
- we are ALL better than the worst thing we've ever done
- his description of mercy as being at its best when it is freely given and undeserved.

brendan sudol

one of the best books i’ve ever read.

horrified and heartbroken by how broken our criminal justice system is; in awe of (and filled with hope by) stephenson’s compassion and courage.

Cassidy

2.5. I thought the message was good and very emotional, but the writing was often run on, he jumped around too much to make sense, and included unnecessary details that just took away from the story. I really didn't need to know that it was cold in Alabama on a winter night or that you went fishing.

Michelle Li

i know i’m late to this book but woooooow 😥😥😥😥😥 truly fuck prisons and our disgraceful punishment system

Francis Buggey

This book was absolutely phenomenal. Bryan Stevenson tells his story on his journey from law school to running the Equal Justice Initiative, and tells the story of cases he has worked on. In particular, Stevenson focuses on one specific case and how that case affected him in ways he never thought imaginable. Throughout the rest of the book, and in between chapters, he highlights other cases and how the justice system failed those involved. If you are well aware of how the justice system is corrupt and dangerous for people of color and poor communities in America, this book will anger you even more. If you are not aware, this book should ignite an anger inside of you that you have never known was there. 5/5 stars.

Jill Niemeier 

Nicole Worsham

Stevenson not only dives into the corruption in our judicial system, but what it means to be human. We are all more alike than we seem, and we are more than the worst thing we have ever done. I absolutely adored this book.

Selena Rivera

This was a very well written book. It goes over the many clients of Bryan Stevenson and the appalling injustices and abuses they go through in our so called ‘justice’ system. We can’t continue to allow minorities, poor people, mentally disabled and un-parented children to be disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system.
Quote from the book: “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. When you experience mercy, you learn things that are hard to learn otherwise. You see things you can't otherwise see; you hear things you can't otherwise hear. You begin to recognize the humanity that resides in each of us… 
But simply punishing the broken--walking away from them or hiding them from sight--only ensures that they remain broken and we do, too. There is no wholeness outside of our reciprocal humanity.”

Just Mercy A Story of Justice and Redemption

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