Simeon Spurrier received an honorable mention for his essay in the annual Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. National Peace & Justice Ministries public policy essay contest. Spurrier is a 10th-grader at Lancaster Mennonite School in Lancaster. He will receive a cash prize.

In his essay, "Our Brokenness: An Essay Concerning the American Criminal Justice System," Spurrier describes contributing factors to the current system of mass incarceration. In addition to changing mandatory minimum sentencing policies, Spurrier advocates for the use of restorative justice as a system that addresses underlying causes of harm and works through the trauma caused by crimes.

The MCC high school essay contest, which is in its 24th year, encourages youths to explore and understand national policy issues while reflecting on how their faith engages with advocacy. Public policy topics in this year's contest included immigration, climate change, and mass incarceration.