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 application of 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 is shaped by bias in adjudication, political pressure, and presumptions of guilt tied to race and class.
Meaningful reform requires proximity, meaning advocates must get close to the suffering of the accused to understand their humanity, trauma, and circumstances.