#Repost @mollyparmer (with @report.for.insta) ... No innocent person should ever spend a day in prison, and yet innocent people are wrongfully convicted and incarcerated, both in the United States and in countries all around the world, everyday. Some innocent people spend decades in prison, fighting for freedom; some are subjected to cruel and unusual punishment; and some are sentenced to death. Widespread public education, awareness, and advocacy is key to preventing wrongful conviction. Today — International Wrongful Conviction Day — is a day to raise awareness of the causes and remedies of wrongful conviction and to recognize the tremendous personal, social, and emotional costs of wrongful conviction for innocent people and their families. The photos in this post are of two of my friends who have been wrongfully convicted: Jimmie Gardner was convicted of sexual assault in 1990 and spent 27 years behind bars in West Virginia’s prison system. Once a Chicago Cubs pitching prospect, he saw his promising career as a professional athlete derailed abruptly when he was imprisoned based on falsified forensic evidence — and what a judge later called “a complete miscarriage of justice.” John Jerome White served more than 22 years as a result of his wrongful conviction for rape and robbery. Efforts by attorneys and student interns at the Georgia Innocence Project led to the DNA testing that finally proved White’s innocence. Unfortunately, Jimmie and John are not anomalies. Studies estimate that between 3 and 5 percent of all US prisoners are actually innocent. With the number of incarcerated Americans being approximately 2.4 million, by that estimate as many as 120,000 people may be incarcerated as a result of wrongful conviction. Let today be a reminder of this harrowing aspect of our criminal system. Donate, spread the word, educate yourself, and try to be half as grateful, warm, and positive as my friends Jimmie and John. #wrongfulconvictionday #october2 #innocence #endmassincarceration #exonerate #freedom #liberty #justice #criminaldefense #notguilty #georgiainnocenceproject https://www.instagram.com/p/CF16HBqnaHZ/?igshid=gf9fl0yipy1x
