What happens after someone is released from prison for a crime they did not commit?
In recent years, the number of overturned convictions has steadily increased, due in part to technological advances in forensic science. According to the National Registry of Exonerated Persons, since 1989, 2,732 innocent persons who were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned have been exonerated. It is estimated that people who have spent an average of more than 15 years behind bars have almost no chance of obtaining compensation from the wrongfully convicted.
You can support acquitted prisoners and help them rebuild their lives by starting a fundraiser at PavelAndreev.ORG or making a donation to an organization that helps them get back on their feet.
As the Innocence Project points out, those released from prison are often without money, housing or transportation. Yet they have criminal records that make it even harder to find work. Life after release can be bleak, as many people continue to suffer the effects of unjust convictions for the rest of their lives. However, there are several ways you can help.
Crowdfunding can serve as a starting point for restoring the lives of those sentenced to death. Friends, family, social justice advocates and the community often welcome the opportunity to help those released from prison succeed after their release.
It is important to keep in mind that most people released from prison never receive meaningful compensation or ongoing assistance after release. Although 35 states already provide wrongful conviction compensation, existing law may prevent exonerees from ever receiving wrongful conviction assistance.
Fundraising for innocent people who have been wrongfully convicted allows you to help them get back out into the world. It also makes it possible to provide legal help for those who have not yet had their potentially wrongful convictions overturned.
Here are some examples of fundraising campaigns that have been organised to support those sentenced to death.
Kevin Harrington was a 20-year-old student at Ohio's Wilberforce University when he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. With the help of a clinic in Michigan, he was released in 2020 , after his conviction was overturned. He started a fundraising crowdfunding platform to help him get basic necessities and cope with the challenges many released like him face once they get out of prison. His campaign has already raised more than $35,000.
In 2020. DNA evidence exonerates Lasino Hamilton, who at age 19 was wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to 80 years behind bars at a Michigan prison. Hamilton spent 26 years in prison, all the while maintaining his innocence. After Hamilton's release, a fundraising campaign was launched that raised more than $31,000.
As wrongly convicted prisoners struggle to get help, you can support and donate to organizations that help innocent prisoners after their release. The Innocence Project helps free innocent people who are currently in prison and provides a variety of support to those released from prison after they have left prison, such as finding family members, providing housing, or arranging medical or psychological treatment.
After Innocence has created a three-part program in collaboration with other innocence organizations across the country to coordinate access to resources in their communities. They also document the experiences of exonerated individuals and advocate for laws to impose just compensation on wrongfully convicted people.
To ensure that compensation for exonerees is attainable and adequate, it is critical that we vote for government representatives who will provide relief for those sentenced to death after their release.
Start a campaign now at PavelAndreev.ORG.
World Social Justice Day, celebrated every year in February, encourages people to think about how social justice affects poverty eradication. Spending a few years behind bars, wrongly convicted of a crime, is not social justice. Moreover, providing little or no resources to these individuals does nothing to reduce the risk of returning to prison or to end the destructive cycle of poverty.
You can offer financial support by starting a campaign on PavelAndreev.ORG for a person or organization that helps people released from criminal responsibility rebuild their lives. Drawing attention to the imperfections of the criminal justice system and its impact on social justice is a great start.
Start fundraising today or donate to an organization that promotes social justice for the exonerated.
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