THE COURAGE OF COMPASSION

An urgent plea for a more humane criminal justice system.

Writing with her former colleague Ramirez, Steinberg notes that being a career public defender has meant protecting “those most vulnerable when the government seeks to take away liberty.” In this book, she explores both her reasons for devoting her life to defending “those people” and stories of clients victimized by the legal system. Steinberg credits her drug-addicted father, a man who cycled in and out of jails and mental institutions, for teaching her the importance of advocating for even the most troubled people “because they never cease to be a human being.” This lesson in compassion helped her with the many difficult cases she encountered throughout her career, like the one involving a Russian Jewish immigrant wrongly charged with sodomy. The apparent heinousness of the crime did not deter Steinberg from getting to know her client, gaining his trust and finding evidence of a forced confession. Though she did not win the case, what she learned prepared her for later encounters with police corruption and brutality. It also laid the groundwork for the Bronx Defenders, which the author founded to train young lawyers how to “put up a real fight, center our clients’ voices, and think about our work through a systemic lens.” Her work with the Defenders, combined with her strongly held feminist beliefs, led her to create what she calls a “holistic defender office” in Oklahoma, which has the highest rate of female incarceration in the U.S. Steinberg’s commitment to reforming a racist, xenophobic, classist, and misogynist criminal justice system is undeniably inspiring, as is her unshakeable faith that “compassion restores our shared humanity,” making us “freer and more authentic.” Her uplifting vision will resonate with social justice reformers and any readers interested in the ongoing fight for justice in a broken system.

Powerfully insightful reading.