The Guardians

“I have saddled myself with the burdens of innocent people rotting away in prison while rapists and murderers roam free.”

Post’s words summarize his cynical view of the criminal justice system—it doesn’t work. It also reveals the emotional toll his work takes on him (“saddled myself with the burdens”).

“Bite marks and hair analysis have been discredited in most advanced jurisdictions. Both belong to that pathetic and ever-shifty field of knowledge derisively known as defense and innocence lawyers as ‘junk science.’”

This line speaks to one of the issues in the criminal justice system that Post despises—the use of “science” that doesn’t work. However, the book also points to science that does work—DNA testing. The fact that there’s science that works makes it even more tragic that people are stuck behind bars on the basis of “junk science.”

“His freedom invigorates me and keeps me going. If not for Guardian Ministries, he would still be rotting away.”

These lines give the readers insights into Post’s motivation. Post’s life isn’t easy; he mostly works and has zero personal life. Here, the reader sees why he does it.

“Hated by my client. Hated by his victims. What the hell was I doing in that courtroom?”

This is Post’s last thought before he has a breakdown in court as a young lawyer defending a boy who gang raped a girl and killed her boyfriend. It provides insights into the minds of public defenders who are tasked with the unlucky job of defending people—even the guilty. In some ways, Post’s job as a guardian is easier—morally, at least.

“Walking Frankie out of prison two years later was the greatest thrill of my life. I found my calling. Through divine intervention I had met Vicki Gourley, a woman with a mission of her own.”

This is one of the rare moments when Post uses religious language (“divine intervention”). These linguistic moments remind the reader of his Episcopal past.

“A successful exoneration can take many years and consume at least $200,000 in cash.”

This number adds shock value. A person who isn’t familiar with the work of organizations like Guardian Ministries would have no clue how much it costs (or how long it takes) to get one person out of prison.

“After two days of intense and heated debate, the lone Black held out for life with no parole. The eleven whites were disappointed that they could not return a death verdict.”

This quote about Quincy’s trial is one of the many commentaries on the how race plays into the criminal justice system. Obviously, justice should be served without bias, including racial bias. However, this is not the case.

“This is not a cold case. The State of Florida got a conviction. The truth is irrelevant.”

With these words, Post calls out the falseness of the criminal justice system. Justice is rarely the goal. Instead, we see people like Chad Falwright, who are worried about getting reelected as district attorney and would rather keep an innocent man behind bars than admit a botched trial.

“In so many awful ways they’re all the same: squat concrete buildings with no windows, rec yards filled with men in matching uniforms killing time, scowling guards reeking of contempt because I’m a trespasser there to help the lowlifes.”

The book’s insights into prison life are limited since Post is the narrator and his only experiences in prison are via visits. This slight description gives a sense of the dour nature of incarceration, reminding the reader how tough it is to be imprisoned.

“In white America, prisons are good places where bad men pay for their crimes. In Black America, they are too often used as warehouses to keep minorities off the streets.”

This quote calls out the racial bias in the American criminal justice system. Such racial bias isn’t fictional and has been studied at length. For example, old Jim Crow laws can be linked to modern legislation today (see extra resources for more).

“The guards earn even less and there are fewer of them, the terrible food is even worse, the commissary gouges the men on everything from peanut butter to toilet paper, and the medical care is nonexistent. I suppose that in America everything, including education and corrections, is fair game for profiteers.”

In addition to criticizing the racist nature of the US criminal justice system, Post also calls out its capitalist nature. This comment on for-profit prisons critiques the for-profit prison system, another very real issue in the reality of the US criminal justice system (see extra resources for more).

“In the 1980s and 1990s […] thousands of criminal defendants were convicted and put away by shaky theories about bloodstains, blood spatter, arson, bite marks, fabrics, glass breakage, scalp and pubic hair, boot prints, ballistics, and even fingerprints.”

This is an educational passage of the book, furthering the critique of “junk science” Post alludes to earlier. It helps the reader see how ludicrous the criminal justice system can be: Scientific techniques believed decades ago have been proven totally inaccurate.

“Very few women are criminals. Their mistakes are picking bad boyfriends.”

This is one of the only comments on the criminal justice system as it pertains to women. It’s an interesting comment, with an undertone of sexism—some might view it as problematic. There are plenty of women who plan and execute crimes of their own accord, not just for a man.

“There are thousands of innocent people in prison.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.”

“Most white folks don’t, but go to the Black community and you’ll find plenty of believers.”

This exchange occurs between Post and Glenn. It mirrors a common rift in U.S. society (people who believe fully in the criminal justice system versus those who don’t) as well as system’s racism.

“These six cases are my life and career. I live with them every day and I often tire of thinking and talking about them.”

Post makes this remark after telling his mother about the cases he’s working on. It’s a telling look into his character, confirming what the reader has already seen through Post’s actions—he’s all about work, with zero thought to his personal life.

“It’s Tyler, in his boxers, dangling from the zip line with his feet just inches above the raging open mouth and jagged teeth of a large crocodile.”

This visually violent moment of torture ups the ante in the narrative, heightening the sense of danger and tension. Although it happens in the past, it raises the reader’s expectation for danger to come since the same people who tortured Tyler for trying to save Quincy from prison will presumably be interested in Post’s work trying to free Quincy as well.

“Prison is a nightmare for those who deserve it. For those who don’t, it is a daily struggle to maintain some level of sanity.”

This quote speaks to the difficulty of imprisonment. Freedom is something most humans take for granted; having it taken away is something most of us can’t imagine.

“Is Guardian responsible for this? Would Quincy be here if we had declined to take his case? No, he would not. His dream of freedom, as well as our desire to help him, made him a target. I bury my face in my hands and weep.”

Post has these ruminations after he discovers Quincy has been jumped in prison and almost killed. It’s a rare moment of guilt, showing how even when we are trying to do the right thing, we aren’t guaranteed a happy ending.

“Mercado wants me to monitor Miller’s recovery and find a way to finish the job.”

This is in the statement given by Skip DiLuca to the FBI. It adds tension to the plot, revealing that—as Post suspected—Quincy’s life is still in danger

“Quincy is not thinking about money these days. He’s too busy trying to walk.” 

With these words, Post drives home the point that money can’t replace some things—like freedom and health. These are both things that the criminal justice system took from Quincy. But you can’t buy those things back, so Quincy has to settle for money.

“The writing is on the wall. This boy got screwed by this county twenty-three years ago. It’s time to make things right.”

In this moment, Glenn encourages Seabrook sheriff Wink Castle to support Post’s mission to get Quincy exonerated. It’s an intriguing shift, as Glenn goes from being not very interested in Quincy’s case to championing his release. It’s also a problematic statement, thanks to Glenn’s use of the words “this boy,” a phrase tinged with racist connotations.

“He forgave Zeke Huffey, and he forgave Carrie Holland, and he feels wonderfully, beautifully unburdened.”

These words describe Quincy expressing forgiveness for the people who helped lock him up. They are a testament to the value of forgiveness. It’s also a reminder that many of the people were coerced by the system to help put Quincy away—Zeke was bribed with a lighter sentence, for example, while Carrie was allowed to avoid drug charges. They were cogs in a machine much bigger than them and are worthy of forgiveness.

“Before you go, though, I’m compelled to at least acknowledge that you have been badly mistreated by our legal system, and since I’m a part of it, I apologize for what has happened to you.”

In this moment, the judge who exonerates Quincy provides a formal apology as a symbol of the U.S. criminal justice system. It’s a powerful and rare moment in which the system acknowledges its own flaws.