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In Chapter Ten, Stevenson details his work on behalf of Avery Jenkins and, as he does so, recounts his interactions with an aggressive, white corrections officer at the prison where Jenkins is being held. The prison guard is extremely combative from the moment he lays eyes on Stevenson, demanding that he submit to an unnecessary strip search before entering to meet with his client. This cruel behavior, along with the revelation that the truck in the parking lot draped with Confederate flags and gun racks belongs to the prison guard, strongly implies that he holds racist beliefs about Black Americans. He takes every opportunity possible to flaunt his perceived sense of superiority, using his position of authority at the prison as justification for doing so. Encountering such an outright display of white supremacy reminds Stevenson of just how skewed the power dynamics in the American South truly are. He is especially concerned about how the prison guard will treat Jenkins, a Black man with a significant mental disability, while transporting him to and from the courthouse.
When Stevenson encounters the prison guard after the hearing, he is shocked to discover that he has completely changed his attitude towards him. The prison guard’s unchecked hostility transforms into an almost shy politeness, and he explains that listening to Stevenson describe Jenkins’s history as an abused foster child opened his eyes to the struggles of others. A former foster child himself, the prison guard gains a significant respect for Stevenson’s work defending those who have faced considerable hardships in their lives. He also changes his attitude toward the prisoners whom he supervises and, in a heartwarming display of kindness, ensures that Jenkins gets the chocolate milkshake he has been dreaming of. Including this anecdote about the prison guard in the novel has two primary functions. First, highlighting the connection between his difficult childhood and aggressive behavior as an adult emphasizes the idea that past traumas have an undeniable effect on an individual’s character. Asserting his dominance over others served as a way of channeling his anger and anxieties surrounding his unstable life. Perhaps even more importantly, however, the prison guard’s journey shows the power that compassion has to change a person’s life. Seeing Stevenson stand up for someone like Jenkins allows him to believe that he too is worthy of grace, and this feeling enables him to walk away from his job at the prison.
