The primary theme of The Guardians is the corrupt nature of the criminal justice system. The text unveils corruption at every level of the system. It’s seen in Duke Russell’s case, when DA Chad Falwright hopes to leverage his relationship with Judge Raney to prevent DNA testing of the pubic hairs in the evidence file. It’s seen when Sheriff Pfitzner takes money from the Saltillo cartel to frame Quincy. It’s seen when a lowly prison guard takes a few thousand dollars to help orchestrate a jump on Quincy. It’s also seen in the inmates themselves, such as the snitch Zeke Huffey, who lies in trials to lessen his own charges. Corruption is everywhere.

The corruption is so rampant that even the “good guys” like Post and Guardian Ministries can’t avoid it. They must operate within the system—as seen when Post bribes a prison guard for information, pays Zeke Huffey for his affidavit, and records Carrie Holland Prewitt without her consent. Post explains:

This can be a dirty business. We are forced to deal with witnesses who have lied, police who have fabricated evidence, experts who have misled juries, and prosecutors who have suborned perjury. We, the good guys, often find that getting our hands dirty is the only way to save our clients (119).