IndexIntroductionJust Mercy: A Story of Justice and RedemptionAnalysisThe United States Criminal Justice System and Racial InjusticeCivil Rights in AmericaConclusionIntroductionI have always been skeptical of the United States criminal justice system and as a result the system is far from fair. The discontent concerns the treatment of African Americans in the country and the growing cases of discrimination and prejudice against people of color. The book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption investigates the application of the death penalty and the growing prison population in the United States since the 1980s. The book delves into the issue of American racism and Southern terrorism with Southern black communities bearing the brunt of an unjust, corrupt, and racist criminal justice system. In this essay I will dissect the book to analyze the connection between the growing prison population and racism in America. I agree with the author that the use of the word "criminal" has created a label aimed at people of color that brings forth a damning revelation of the complexities that exist in American society's movement toward equality and parity of rights. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption The book was written by Bryan Stevenson, an African-American lawyer and civil rights warrior working in Alabama and Georgia. In the book, Stevenson investigates the introduction of the death penalty and why the US prison population saw an increase in the 1980s. His decision to venture into the death penalty issue came when he was representing Walter McMillian, an innocent man sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. In the book, Stevenson argues that the U.S. legal system has failed and continues to fail many people, especially people of color. Stevenson further argues that the lack of legal representation for people on death row is selective and systematically perpetrated by the high and mighty in the criminal justice system. Using case studies, the author believes that race and the death penalty go hand in hand and that prison policies discriminate against juveniles held in U.S. prisons. The US criminal justice system has come under heavy criticism for executing supposedly innocent individuals, in a case dubbed "judicial homicide." The author also discusses the issue of civil rights and the need to end the segregation that continues to exist in the South. However, it is sufficient to state that discrimination in the South is widespread and that the civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1980s have yet to be fully appreciated. Analysis In the book, the author uses individual case studies to document the suffering of people of color drawn from the African-American and Latino communities in the 1980s and 1990s. Stevenson is particularly affected by the poor decisions made by the criminal justice system and, in particular, the presentation of evidence by the police and prosecutors (Stevenson 17). I agree with these sentiments considering that in the United States the increase in prison population numbers has been achieved through the incarceration of innocence and policies that have also seen juveniles be watched in adult prisons. According to Kallsen, the number of juveniles in the adult prison population has been facilitated by the failure of the police and juvenile court to avail themselves of special conditions to detainminors with serious crimes. Furthermore, this especially affected minors belonging to minority groups such as Native Americans, African Americans and Latinos. The number of youth tried in adult courts in the United States continues to increase, with some as young as 14 years old being tried and sentenced in adult courts. Murray argues that criminal justice policies in the United States are controversial because they create avenues to imprison children alongside adults, and this has led to an increase in cases of sexual abuse, injury and even death. The issue of child rape and abuse in adult prisons is something the U.S. criminal justice system has turned a blind eye to. However, the innocence of the prisoners also contributed to this problem. US criminal justice system and racial injustice In the book, Stevenson claims that since the 1970s, US courts have been "forced" to sentence innocent people to prison and, shockingly, to sentence them to death row. . According to Stevenson, “prosecutors and police departments vigorously and ferociously oppose” the release of innocent victims and are asking courts to sentence them to capital punishment. The author identifies 13 cases where the victims were innocent but still sentenced to death, the most terrifying being the case of Carlos DeLuna. The case took place in the South, Texas, to be precise, where the author accuses the court of “judicial murder” (Stevenson 156). The conviction of innocent men and their execution is nothing new in the United States, as demonstrated by past and present cases that also included extrajudicial executions. According to Berry III, many African Americans, Latinos and minority groups have suffered under the watchful eye of people who are primarily supposed to protect the police. Race and class are predominant issues when it comes to cases of judicial brutality, where money and resources are dedicated to protecting police officers who execute people of color with impunity. Stevenson implores that “racism and classism have been used as cheap and quick mechanisms that facilitate fallible beliefs.” I agree with these sentiments considering that most prisons in the United States have been privatized. Conversely, others are funded by private companies run by rich, white people with the goal of “warehousing the poor.” America's wealthy and corporate have the resources, money, and influence to reorient prison policies, as documented by the entry of more than 200,000 innocent minors from minority groups into adult prisons. Additionally, people of color, especially men, are given harsh sentences and years behind bars. In this case, I argue that the U.S. criminal justice system is prone to racial and class influence in the pursuit of justice as there is a clear lack of mercy in all judicial decisions affecting people of color. Stevenson uses two themes, justice and mercy, as interconnected and influential in determining the outcomes of cases. For example, the case Miller v. Alabama, which involved juveniles sentenced to life without parole (LWOP), highlights the ineffectiveness of the U.S. criminal justice system in showing mercy and complying with constitutional requirements. The Eighth Amendment requires consideration of individual or defendant characteristics before sentencing. However, the LWOP's decision regarding minors indicates a lack of effectiveness in the application of the Constitution. Another clear example of when individual characterization is not taken into account is the case of Herbert Richardson, a Vietnam veteran sentenced to death forhaving detonated a small explosive in front of his girlfriend's house. It was evident that the perpetrator suffered from psychological distress and the court's decision to sentence him to death indicates the lack of policies to deal with mental problems in the criminal justice system. I agree with this sentiment as, in 2016, the number of mentally ill inmates in U.S. prisons nearly doubled compared to the 1990s. Reckless decisions by the judiciary to admit mentally ill inmates into the general population without effective treatment continue to plague American prisons, and especially affect people from minority groups. Furthermore, the issue of veterans' mental health continues to impact society as there are no clear guidelines on how veterans should be integrated into society. Civil Rights in America Civil rights and liberties continue to shape American politics, 200 years after the first movements to end slavery and calls for inclusion. Police brutality against African Americans continues to raise questions about whether the country is as democratic as many people consider it to be. In the book, a typical example is when Stevenson is asked by police officers to get out of his car for a random search. However, Stevenson was sitting in his car which he had parked outside his house and had informed the police officer. However, a police officer pulled out his gun and pointed it at Stevenson as the neighbors looked on (Berry III 339). Stevenson mirrored this problem with what is happening in Missouri, where white officers mistreat and harass black families living in the area. The same situation continues to impact various neighborhoods across America and, unsurprisingly, the recent shootings involving black teenagers are no fluke. Stevenson states that “You never truly understand a person until you consider things from their point of view” points to the growing discontent between African Americans and white police officers (Stevenson 45). In modern America, being black is synonymous with being a criminal, and this has led many black movements to call for a changing of the guard in all police departments. Random shootings involving innocent black teenagers have sent shockwaves through the country. However, none have harmed the criminal justice system more than courts that have freed rogue police officers. In the United States, it is important to first understand the prevailing judicial culture, where in-group versus out-group culture dominates every aspect of the justice system. Stevenson alludes to the fact that “in any legal system there are two groups; those who respect and those who do not respect the law." I agree with the above sentiment as it essentially means that the first group, the internal group, must provide concrete evidence before being found guilty. However, for the second group, the presumption of innocence is null as they receive an immediate conviction. Currently, African Americans are denied several rights protected by the Constitution, as they immediately lose almost all privileges once arrested. According to Kallsen, once arrested, out-groups become evil, while bad people once commit a crime. Indeed, this has led to increased stigmatisation, dehumanisation and inconsistency in judicial proceedings. Inevitably, these problems have created a judicial culture that not only denies the protection of civil liberties but also supports a racist and prejudicial system. I support Stevenson's argument that the current criminal justice system has created an avenue for recidivism and increased tensions between.