 | Just mercy : adapted for young adults : a true story of the fight for justice Author: Stevenson, Bryan | |
| Price: $10.65 | ||
Summary:
Renowned lawyer and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson offers a glimpse into the lives of the wrongfully imprisoned and his efforts to fight for their freedom as the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Stevenson's story is one of working to protect basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society--the poor, the wrongly convicted, and those whose lives have been marked by discrimination and marginalization.
Reviews:
School Library Journal (+) (00/10/18)
Booklist (+) (09/01/18)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 09/01/2018 *Starred Review* Stevenson brought the topic of mass incarceration to the forefront in his critically acclaimed, Carnegie Award–winning Just Mercy? (2014). In this adaptation for young people, Stevenson once again describes the difficult work he’s faced as a lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, based in Mobile, Alabama. As he focuses on the case of Walter McMillian, a poor African American man wrongfully convicted of capital murder, he brings to light alarming racial and socioeconomic disparities in the criminal-justice system, particularly the overwhelming number of poor and black prisoners without adequate legal representation and on death row. The author also weaves in stories of mistreated prisoners with mental illness, female prisoners abused by male guards, and other atrocities. The stories that will resonate most with adolescent readers, however, are those of teens, even as young as 13 and 14, sentenced to life in prison in adult facilities. While calling out needs for prison reform, Stevenson asks readers to consider a just mercy for the prisoners mentioned in the book and those like them. A just mercy would see prisoners as human beings, taking into consideration their often trauma-filled backgrounds, realistic sentences for young teens, and rehabilitative services upon release, among other changes. Classrooms and book groups will find plenty to discuss and debate. Compassionate and compelling, Stevenson’s narrative is also unforgettable. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 10/01/2018 Gr 7 Up—Adapted from the author's acclaimed book for adults, this title offers students awareness of and insights into the prosecution, conviction, and imprisonment practices of our federal and state governments over the last many decades. The author founded, and continues to work as a lawyer for, the Equal Justice Initiative which is located in Alabama but works across the United States to redress many injustices against people and youth of color who were tried for crimes they may not have committed. A sort of memoir, Stevenson follows a few specific cases while providing an overview of the big picture of how the judicial system has ignored basic civil rights when the accused are people of color and/or are poor. Readers will have their eyes opened to real cases and can then decide for themselves their opinion of the justice system. While some of the stories are upsetting, there is no overt violence included. VERDICT Every high school should purchase the book; many middle schools will also want it.—Dorcas Hand, formerly at Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
