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This is what you missed at the Innocence Project in October.
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 John Galvan hugs a member of his legal team after
his exoneration on July 22, 2022. (Image: Ray Abercrombie/Innocence Project)
How Discovery Channel’s MythBusters Helped a Wrongly Convicted Man Prove His Innocence
John Galvan was arrested at just 18 and spent 35 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. A little more than twenty years into his sentence, he caught a rerun of the show MythBusters on prison television that renewed his hope of proving his innocence. While watching the show, which investigates the scientific validity of various situations, John learned that a cigarette could not ignite a pool of gasoline, poking holes in the false confession he gave after being intimidated and beaten during his interrogation. Finding this out made John fight even harder for his freedom. Read more about John’s story and then share it with your friends.
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 Inmates move about a
gymnasium that was modified to house prisoners at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, Calif., in 2007. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Op-Ed: Black People Are Wrongly Convicted More Than Any Other Group. We Can Prevent This
Earlier this month, Innocence Project Executive Director Christina Swarns penned an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times about racial disparities in wrongful convictions. She highlights the fact that Black people are seven times more likely than white people to be falsely convicted of serious crimes. Please take a moment to read Christina’s op-ed dissecting the new report from the National Registry of Exonerations, which demonstrates that race is a powerful driver of wrongful convictions.
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 Supporters at the #FreePervisPayne rally in New
York's Union Square on Sept. 8, 2021. (Image: Elijah Craig II/Innocence Project)
Innocence Project Wins Clarence B. Jones Impact Award for Digital Advocacy Campaign to Stop Pervis Payne’s Execution
With amazing support from this community of advocates, the Innocence Project’s hard work — specifically our digital advocacy and grassroots campaign leading to a stay of Pervis Payne’s execution and his removal from Tennessee’s death row in November 2021 — was nationally recognized this month. The Clarence B. Jones Impact Award, given by The Communication Network, recognizes innovative and impactful communications efforts that have helped drive social change. And we know that we would not have received this honor without each of you. Read more about the campaign and watch the keynote address from Pervis Payne’s sister Rolanda Holman and our very own Director of Digital Engagement Alicia
Maule.
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 (Image: Miguel A. Amutio/Unsplash)
Cheer on the Innocence Project at the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is returning on Nov. 6 at full capacity with 50,000 runners! We’re excited to say that we've got a team of 10 runners who will be out there supporting the Innocence Project. So if you're in the city, give them some encouragement and cheer them on! And if you’d like to join our runners in supporting the Innocence Project, please consider making a donation here.
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 The Exoneree Fund
supports exonerees with necessities like healthcare and housing once they return home. Make a donation to help the wrongfully convicted today.
Directly Support Our Wrongfully Convicted Clients
When many of our wrongfully convicted clients are released from prison, the adjustment to life at home can be jarring. The Innocence Project’s Exoneree Fund helps make things a little easier for our clients by providing support through housing, food, and other basic necessities. But right now we need to replenish the fund, and we rely on the generosity of grassroots donors like you to be able to provide this kind of support to future exonerees. Please make a contribution to help replenish our Exoneree Fund today.
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 As the president of
United, Brett Hart has made a deep commitment to promoting a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. (Image: Courtesy of United Airlines)
Brett Hart, President of United Airlines, Joins Innocence Project Board of Directors
We’re so excited to announce this month that Brett Hart has been elected to our Board of Directors. Brett is the first African American to be president of United in the airline’s 94-year history. “I have long been a supporter and admirer of the powerful work of the Innocence Project, so it is an honor and a privilege to join the Board of Directors,” said Mr. Hart. “I am eager to contribute my time and energy to advancing their work correcting wrongful convictions and creating a fairer and more accurate legal system.” Take a moment to read more about Brett Hart’s career and support for the Innocence Project’s work.
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Exonerations Around the U.S.
Exoneration Project client Marcelous Pittman was exonerated on Oct. 12, 2022 after serving 19 years wrongfully incarcerated; Michigan Innocence Clinic client Anthony Kyles was exonerated on Oct. 26, 2022 after serving 25 years wrongfully incarcerated.
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