Cultural Contexts of Mercy

• In Event: Policies and Practices Regarding Mercy and Wrongful Conviction

Abstract

Compassion, and consequent demonstrations of mercy and/or forgiveness, may occur at various points in the criminal justice process following detection of wrongdoing. This paper is an examination of the patterns of compassionate or merciful response in United States policing and jurisprudence. The US experience is then compared to the context of mercy in response to incidents of crime or abuse in South Indian and other Asian societies.

Author

• Margaret Leland Smith, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY