(Image: Elijah Craig II/Innocence Project)

Hi John, it’s Norberto Peets. As I prepare to spend Thanksgiving with my loved ones, I am reminded of everything I am grateful for.

I used to count my days playing basketball on a cracked concrete prison-yard court in a state-issued jumpsuit and a pair of laceless sneakers. Basketball became my lifeline, a sanctuary that momentarily freed my mind from the weight of my wrongful conviction. On May 9, 2023, after 26 years behind bars, I was finally exonerated — thanks to the Innocence Project and people like you, John.

I wouldn’t be here emailing you today without your critical support, so please: Will you make a contribution right now to help the Innocence Project reach their goal by Giving Tuesday and continue their critical work to free or exonerate innocent people like me? When you give this Giving Tuesday, your donation is matched 2X up to $25,000 thanks to a generous donor.

John, here’s what I’m personally grateful for:

Thanks to you, I can shoot free throws as a free man — and for that, I will always be grateful.

But the truth is, far too many people are still wrongly incarcerated in this country, and we can’t sit back today while they’re spending another holiday apart from their family and friends. That's why the work the Innocence Project does is so important. But they can’t continue their life-changing work to free the innocent and prevent wrongful convictions without the help of supporters like you.

So please, before we all go back to the hustle and bustle of meal-prepping for the holiday tomorrow, can I count on you to help the Innocence Project reach their critical goal by making a donation before midnight tonight? Your contribution helps advance the innocence movement and free more people, like me, who have been wrongfully convicted. When you give this Giving Tuesday, your donation is matched 2X up to $25,000 thanks to a generous donor.

Thank you,

Norberto Peets
Exonerated in 2023