The Courage of Compassion

A Journey from Judgment to Connection

By: Robin Steinberg, Camilo Ramirez

Narrated by: Robin Steinberg

"Powerfully insightful reading." —Kirkus Reviews

How would you like to be judged for the rest of your life by the worst thing you’ve ever done?

We all think we are compassionate just like we all think we are honest. But true compassion is not innate. Compassion for others, especially those that we don’t know or understand, must be learned. Our lack of compassion is perhaps most extreme in the exercise of criminal justice, where a person’s entire life, worth, and character are judged through the myopic lens of a single act. But no one, says Robin Steinberg, should be reduced to their worst moment.

From the founder and CEO of The Bail Project, The Courage of Compassion unveils how we can reimagine justice through compassion. Steinberg shares her journey as a public defender, representing people at precisely that time in their lives — their own worst moment. She recounts the heart-wrenching stories of her clients and invites us to interrogate our fears and beliefs about justice and punishment. Lastly, Steinberg reveals moments when she questioned her own capacity for compassion, as well as her ability to fight for better, more humane justice from within a system that is riddled with holes and seemingly interminable problems.

A gritty tale about confronting injustice and challenging ourselves to rediscover our shared humanity, The Courage of Compassion is an invitation to join Steinberg as she explores what it will take to move beyond our current justice paradigm. The criminal justice system reflects a history and power structure, but it also mirrors how we come into society and show up for one another. As she writes, the quest to improve this system will only truly begin “when we can finally see in the faces of those ensnared and imprisoned in our legal system, ourselves. And when we can see our children, in their children.”

Tear jerking

Listened to the book and brought tears to my eyes at the end. Engaging, insightful, heart wrenching and deeply moving. I will listen to it again and again.

Must read

Definitely enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it. Compassion is needed and her examples are perfect

Life changing

This was not an easy book to listen to, but I am deeply grateful to Robin for the work she has done and for sharing her stories in this way. The message of compassion and learning to be with people rather than judging them is what our society needs. We do judge people for their worst moments, and act on fear, which drives the worst wounds of society even deeper.
Robin has a message that is capable of creating individual and systemic healing. I’ll be listening again and recommending to friends.

Understanding the misunderstood

Family members of mine have some problems, with the law or drugs. This book is a perspective that is explained rather ingeniously the 2 types of people in this world. I completely agree. Thank you for writing this book. I hope to see many more.

Great perspective

I really enjoyed this book. To be given an insider’s view from someone who has worked in the US criminal legal system with people at their lowest points was enlightening. That the idea of compassion is Ms. Steinberg’s touchstone as a public defender reinforces its the fundamental value of compassion as a transcendent virtue in multiple religions.