The Mercy Workers
This powerful, nuanced and sensitive piece offers a rare look into one case taken up by a little-known group of mitigation specialists, who have been working for three decades to save the lives of death-penalty defendants by documenting their childhood traumas.

The judging panel described the story as a “powerful, nuanced and sensitive exploration of an aspect of the criminal justice system that is often overlooked.” They praised Maurice Chammah for “humanizing James Bernard Belcher without exonerating him,” “demanding that readers reach their own conclusion about this man's life, his mercy worker and the larger system.” They called “the lengths to which Sara Baldwin went on Belcher's behalf, and by extent Chammah went in following her, stunning.” They described the writing as “well-paced and meditative, allowing readers to pause and think through the difficulties of this work,” and said “given all of the layers of trauma, the fact that the piece moves so elegantly without toppling over with grief is a miracle.”
Originally published by The Marshall Project on March 2, 2023.