Trina Garrett Character Analysis in Just Mercy

Trina was a homeless teenage girl in the 1970’s when she was convicted of murder. She unintentionally set her friend’s house on fire after breaking and entering, and two people died in the fire. Trina came from a household in which her father brutally beat and raped her, her mother, and her siblings. In prison, she was raped by an officer and gave birth to a son, and then became severely emotionally and physically ill with multiple sclerosis. With EJI’s support, she later reconnected to estranged family members, including her child, which helped her mental health. At the time of the book’s publication, she was still serving a life sentence, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling banning life sentences for juvenile crimes.

Trina Garrett Character Timeline in Just Mercy

The timeline below shows where the character Trina Garrett appears in Just Mercy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Systemic Power, Oppression, and Dehumanization Theme Icon

Empathy, Mercy, and Humanization Theme Icon

Stevenson tells the story of Trina Garrett in Pennsylvania. The last of 12 children, many born from rape, Trina grew up... (full context)

In 1976, fourteen-year-old Trina and her friend broke into the house of two friends whose mother had prohibited Trina... (full context)

...basis for the “super-predator theory”. Stevenson writes: “This admission came too late for kids like Trina, Ian and Antonio.” (full context)

EJI began representing Ian, Trina, and Antonio years after their convictions, and the organization decided to fight laws allowing “death-in-prison”... (full context)

...win the case, bringing hope for the possibility of release to over 2,000 people, including Trina Garrett and Ashley Jones. EJI wins a reduced sentence in the case of several young... (full context)

...state of Pennsylvania, EJI continues (at the time of the book’s publication) to fight on Trina Garrett’s behalf. In 2014, she was in a music video featuring Muncy Prison entitled “This... (full context)