[Firstname]]: It’s Tyrone Day reaching out in honor of Wrongful Conviction Day, which is today. In just a moment, I’m going to ask you to chip in to help support the work at the Innocence Project. But before I do that, I want to share my own story as someone who spent decades in prison for a crime I did not commit:
At the young age of 19, I pleaded guilty to a crime I did not commit. Why? Because it offered the most compelling chance for me to reunite with my two daughters.
I was told by my attorney that I could face life in prison if I went to trial and lost. So, like any father who feared not being able to hold his daughters ever again — I took the plea deal.
What was presented to me as a four-year sentence ended up translating to 26 years behind bars.
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26 years, John.
I missed 26 years of celebrating life with my family — birthdays, graduations, holidays, and more. Every major moment of my kids’ lives was robbed from me. And that is a pain I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Despite being the most challenging years of my life, I never lost faith that my innocence would be proven. That's why in 2000, I wrote a letter to the Innocence Project, asking for their help.
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Since my release, I’ve been able to focus on my family and my passion for horticulture. Today, I get to spend time with my kids, hold my grandkids, and celebrate all those little moments with them.
I’m also a co-founder, system manager, and lead horticulturist at Restorative Farms, a scalable, self-sustaining, community-empowering urban farm system. At Restorative Farms, we hope to address South Dallas’ food deserts and make fresh food accessible to our community.
I’ve been able to turn my painful experience into a catalyst for change and growth.
None of this would have been possible without the relentless efforts of the team at the Innocence Project and grassroots supporters like you, John. But here’s the thing: Our collective work to free the innocent and prevent wrongful convictions is far from over.
As I write this, there are hundreds of wrongfully convicted people in prison who haven’t had a fair shot at justice. And they need you to help.
So please: In honor of Wrongful Conviction Day, can I count on you to chip in $30 — or whatever you can spare before midnight — to help the Innocence Project meet their $20,000 goal? Every dollar you give brings the Innocence Project closer to freeing other innocent people like me and fixing a broken legal system.
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Thank you,
Tyrone Day
Exonerated in 2023
Innocence Project
P.S. Thanks to the generous support of John O'Farrell and Gloria Principe, all donations will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $20,000.
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The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the organization is now an independent nonprofit. Our work is guided by science and grounded in anti-racism.
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