The Guardians

Cullen Post is the protagonist and first-person narrator of The Guardians. Formerly a public defender, he left the law and become an Episcopal priest after having a breakdown in court. He now works as a lawyer for Guardian Ministries, an organization devoted to getting innocent people out of prison. Post’s lawyer/priest identity is alluded to regularly. For example, he frequently wears his priest’s collar on visits to prisons because he feels it gives him more respect. His simple life—all work, no romantic interests, little fun—and his work makes him seem almost saint-like. However, he often operates in a morally gray area, breaking rules to achieve his purpose: “We, the good guys, often find that getting our hands dirty is the only way to save our clients” (119).

Post’s voice is the critical lens through which the reader views the flawed criminal justice system, which is the book’s central topic. He repeatedly calls out the issues in the criminal justice system (including racism, for-profit prisons, and corruption). However, he often operates within the confines of the corrupt system himself—for example, when he agrees to pay a prison guard $5,000 for intelligence on who jumped Quincy.