John —

This Women’s History Month, we’ll be highlighting the disparities and unique challenges that women face within our criminal legal system by telling our clients’ stories and sharing ways to help. To start, we want to tell you about Renay Lynch.

In 1998, Renay was wrongly convicted of murdering her landlord in Amherst, New York. There was no physical evidence connecting her to the crime. The entire case hinged on a false confession made after police repeatedly questioned Renay over 18 months — which Renay recanted shortly after the interrogation — and the testimony of a jailhouse informant that has since been recanted, too.

Though the prosecution’s theory was that Renay had agreed to participate in a robbery with an accomplice, whom they believed stabbed Renay's landlord, the alleged accomplice was never arrested or prosecuted.

Renay maintained her innocence for more than 25 years. Now, after decades of wrongful incarceration, Renay has been reunited with her children and is looking forward to spending time with and caring for her grandchildren. More than 60% of women in prison have children under the age of 18 and nearly 80% of women in jail are mothers, the Prison Policy Initiative reports.

But returning to life outside of prison after years of unjust incarceration can be an incredibly difficult process. We want to provide Renay with the support she needs for a smooth transition. If you’d like to help Renay out, you can do so by purchasing some necessities from her Amazon wishlist.

Thank you for your support,

— The Innocence Project