Bryan Stevenson

A client who was sentenced to life when he was 14, and I've now represented him for 30 years. And a couple of years ago, he called me late at night, and I was a little kind of provoked because he's not supposed to call that late. But I picked up and I said, why are you calling so late? He says, it's an emergency. I said, what's the emergency?

He said, I finished the book that you sent me, and you have to come and see me. Wow. I said, I don't even remember what book I sent you. And then he told me that he had just finished reading The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. My favorite book in college. It was a book that just changed my thinking.

He said, I finished the book that you sent me, and you have to come and see me. Wow. I said, I don't even remember what book I sent you. And then he told me that he had just finished reading The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. My favorite book in college. It was a book that just changed my thinking.

He said, I finished the book that you sent me, and you have to come and see me. Wow. I said, I don't even remember what book I sent you. And then he told me that he had just finished reading The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. My favorite book in college. It was a book that just changed my thinking.

And when he started talking excitedly about all of the things he wanted to discuss that he read in this book, It just moved me so much. And here I was talking to someone who people think is beyond redemption, beyond hope, beyond restoration. And he's talking about how much he loves the characters in this book who are constantly being compassionate, who are navigating difficulty.

And when he started talking excitedly about all of the things he wanted to discuss that he read in this book, It just moved me so much. And here I was talking to someone who people think is beyond redemption, beyond hope, beyond restoration. And he's talking about how much he loves the characters in this book who are constantly being compassionate, who are navigating difficulty.

And when he started talking excitedly about all of the things he wanted to discuss that he read in this book, It just moved me so much. And here I was talking to someone who people think is beyond redemption, beyond hope, beyond restoration. And he's talking about how much he loves the characters in this book who are constantly being compassionate, who are navigating difficulty.

And I think that's the gift of believing that we can become better.

And I think that's the gift of believing that we can become better.

And I think that's the gift of believing that we can become better.

Yeah, I think one of the most tragic things that's happened over the last half century is this false idea that some children aren't children. And it was spread by criminologists and a lot of policy people in the 1980s who were going around arguing that some kids look like kids and sound like kids. They said, but these aren't children. And they actually came up with this term.

Yeah, I think one of the most tragic things that's happened over the last half century is this false idea that some children aren't children. And it was spread by criminologists and a lot of policy people in the 1980s who were going around arguing that some kids look like kids and sound like kids. They said, but these aren't children. And they actually came up with this term.

Yeah, I think one of the most tragic things that's happened over the last half century is this false idea that some children aren't children. And it was spread by criminologists and a lot of policy people in the 1980s who were going around arguing that some kids look like kids and sound like kids. They said, but these aren't children. And they actually came up with this term.

They said, these are, quote, super predators. And that label was applied to a lot of children. We started doing very unhealthy things. We created pipelines from schoolhouses to jailhouses. We started lowering the minimum age for trying children

They said, these are, quote, super predators. And that label was applied to a lot of children. We started doing very unhealthy things. We created pipelines from schoolhouses to jailhouses. We started lowering the minimum age for trying children

They said, these are, quote, super predators. And that label was applied to a lot of children. We started doing very unhealthy things. We created pipelines from schoolhouses to jailhouses. We started lowering the minimum age for trying children

As adults, we created this zero-tolerance mindset, and we added to the stress that hundreds of thousands of kids are living with because they're growing up in violent families and violent communities. They're not being embraced. They're not being hugged. They're being associated. Ian, whose poem you read, was 13 years old. when he was arrested and ultimately convicted of a crime.

As adults, we created this zero-tolerance mindset, and we added to the stress that hundreds of thousands of kids are living with because they're growing up in violent families and violent communities. They're not being embraced. They're not being hugged. They're being associated. Ian, whose poem you read, was 13 years old. when he was arrested and ultimately convicted of a crime.

As adults, we created this zero-tolerance mindset, and we added to the stress that hundreds of thousands of kids are living with because they're growing up in violent families and violent communities. They're not being embraced. They're not being hugged. They're being associated. Ian, whose poem you read, was 13 years old. when he was arrested and ultimately convicted of a crime.

It was a non-homicide offense. It took place in Florida. He was so small that they had to cut the legs off of the uniform to get him something that would fit him. They decided not to put him in general population because children in adult facilities become targets for a lot of sexual abuse and violence and mistreatment.