WIB@L June Book of the Month Reviews: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Author: Malin Phelan '23

Just Mercy, “a story of justice and redemption” (as described on the front cover) is an eye-opening book, describing the harsh realities of the United States criminal justice system. Bryan Stevenson carefully articulates his own experiences as a criminal attorney, from beginning his own law practice in Montgomery, Alabama, to working on the case of Walter McMillian, a man wrongfully convicted of murder and placed on death row, to countless other cases of mistreatment in court and in prison.

Just Mercy brought several important issues to light. Beyond the case of Walter McMillian, an obviously mishandled investigation that cost an innocent man years of his life, I discovered so much about the corrupt criminal justice system in the United States that disproportionately affects Black communities and other people of color, as well as women and those with mental illness. From a young age, we are often told that all criminals are inherently bad people and that they’ve made their own choices which put them where they are. However, as Stevenson describes the cases of Trina Garnett, Joe Sullivan, Antonio Nuñez - all people unfairly prosecuted after hard childhoods, and the failure of those around them, this system doesn’t seem so truthful.

We perceive the criminal justice system as necessary, and it certainly is. However, the false accusations, wrongful imprisonment, harsh treatment of those in jail, and racism in court all show that there are clear flaws within this system, something that I hadn’t truly internalized until reading Just Mercy. Reform within these systems is imperative, given the damage done by the “War on Drugs” campaigns beginning in the 1970s, prison labor, false incarcerations, sexual abuse within jails - the list can go on, and on, and on. We must do better, not just for highly publicized cases like McMillian’s, but for all wrongful convictions and harsh sentencing. Just Mercy is a necessary read, a startling push into what justice looks like and how much work must be done in order to fix our broken system.

Author: Isabella Lo '22

Just Mercy is an excellent book that I recommend to everyone. Born to a poor black family in rural Delaware, Stevenson grew up with questions on the racial and economic inequality that he witnessed in his community, which also inspired him to establish the organization EJI (The Equal Justice Initiative) to advocate for marginalized people who have received injustice treatments. One of the many interesting parts of the book is the storyline between the EJI and Walter McMillian, a black man wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to death, and that EJI is defending him against false accusations, which parallels the recent death of George Floyd. Although the actions that Stevenson took to defend Mcmilian might not be considered as an evolutionary change in fighting for racial injustice and inequality, the book that inspires us, modern-day citizens, to fight against dehumanizations, and to embrace everyone with mercy and empathy.