Bryan Stevenson
The American criminal justice system frequently punishes the poor and innocent while failing to offer human dignity. True justice requires proximity to the condemned and the radical application of unearned mercy.
Mercy must be extended to those who least deserve it because shared vulnerability and brokenness form the foundation of human compassion.
The criminal justice system operates under an exclusionary mindset that permanently stigmatizes individuals by labeling them solely by their transgressions.
Meaningful reform requires proximity, meaning advocates must get close to the suffering of the accused to understand their inherent human dignity.