Just Mercy Research Essay

Just Mercy Research Essay

Related Deadlines*:

Four Annotated Bibliographies

Four More Annotated Bibliographies

Outlines

Rough Drafts

Background

In Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption Bryan Stevenson tells stories and presents facts in order to argue against the death penalty. Throughout his discussion, he also highlights various injustices, some directly related to the criminal justice system, and some not.

Assignment Options (CHOOSE ONE)

Option A: Revise your timed essay into a 7-8 page, research-based essay, answering the same question. When you turn it in, your revised research essay should look extremely different from what you wrote for the timed essay. (This will be easy if you add the minimum number of outside sources, revise seriously, etc.) You don’t even have to talk about Just Mercy at all! But you can.

[Special note if you are doing Option A: In the book, the cases of children will be hard to use as evidence because most are off topic, since the death penalty for children has since been outlawed. Try using other examples, like Walter’s case: he was clearly innocent, but given the death penalty because of bias/racism/politics, and other factors).

Option B: In a 7-8 page essay, you will pick one of the issues Stevenson addresses and research it further, creating an argument about that topic (which could be what needs to be changed and why it needs to change, etc.).

For this assignment you can also try to provide solutions. While Stevenson focuses on the death penalty, you do NOT have to focus on the criminal justice system.

Please pick ONE of the following topics (or ask me for permission to explore another topic in the book Just Mercy):

Youth in the criminal justice system

The cost of incarceration

Police brutality

Domestic violence

Privatizing the prison system (and the prison-industrial complex)

The prosecution of drug addiction

Military veterans and medical/mental health support

Your choice (check with me first)

Helpful Tips

Pick your topic early and play around with possibilities, being open to change if you cannot find the information you need.
You may find that you need to narrow your topic. You don’t have to cover absolutely everything about the topic, just enough to create an argument.
Though you are doing research and providing information, remember that you are doing so to support an argument, not just tell your reader some facts. What do you think about those facts? What do you think should change? You are establishing an argument, not just reporting information.
Criteria for success:

A successful essay will accomplish the following:

Begin with an introduction that orients your reader to your topic, giving necessary background.
Present a thesis statement that helps shape and control your paper.
Develop body paragraphs with clear topic sentences that relate to your thesis statement.
Include specific examples and explanations that support the topic sentence in each body paragraph, using quotations, paraphrases, and summary when necessary.
Elaborate on the information provided, explaining how it helps support your point and adding your opinion (by using a quote sandwich and/or PIE paragraphing).
Show logical relationships between your ideas by joining sentences with coordinators and other connecting words.
Include research from at least six outside sources. Three should be from the CCSF databases. You also need two academic sources, meaning journals or other peer-reviewed sources
Your annotated bibliography does NOT count toward the page requirement. So your essay should be 7 full pages, coming onto an 8th, without your sources.
Cite sources according to MLA guidelines.
You will need to complete a works cited page for this essay (not included in the page count). Make sure you have formatted it correctly. Use the MLA section of the Purdue OWL website (Links to an external site.), pay attention to what we cover in this class, and see Annie/Natalie/me or go to the writing lab for help.
Also, consider at least one paragraph that contains a counterargument. What would someone arguing against you say? What would their strongest argument be? Attack that argument. Using one will strengthen your argument overall.
Be sure to complete all of the process steps: Leave time for brainstorming, outlining, writing, revising and proofreading.
Student Learning Outcomes
This essay will allow you to demonstrate all of our student learning outcomes:

You will need to analyze university-level texts in order to use the information well
Your essay will be research-based, organized, and thesis-driven, demonstrating critical thinking.
You should apply the major conventions of standard written English.
You will need to choose and integrate credible sources for support, using appropriate citation format.

Just Mercy Research Essay

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