Only painstaking effort and skilled legal work by the team led by Stevenson forced acknowledgment of the justice system’s shoddy practices and the humanity and innocence of the person who was sentenced. Stevenson’s central story is of a black man who found himself framed for murder and sentenced to death. In story after story, he details the horrors faced by people on the margins of United States mainstream society-poor people, mentally ill people, children, and people of color-when they come in contact with the systems we have built to respond to criminal or antisocial acts. The author explores ethical, moral, and spiritual questions as he uncovers truths many would prefer not to know. This beautifully written book looks closely at the life stories and circumstances of people who have been sentenced to die at the hands of the state or to live out their lives in prison. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson is the 2015-16 UUA Common Read.
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