writing is a powerful tool of expression and reflection for many people who are unjustly imprisoned and sentenced. These eight exonerated and wrongfully convicted individuals took their passion for writing a step further, penning these compelling memoirs that not only paint disturbing portraits of what it is like to be innocent and incarcerated, but also highlight the deepest inequalities and systemic flaws embedded in legal systems. penalties.
These first-hand accounts of surviving and overcoming a wrongful conviction are required reading for anyone interested in criminal justice reform.
You are reading: Books on wrongful convictions
1. redemptive justice by jarrett adams
At 17, Jarrett Adams was arrested for a crime he didn’t commit in Wisconsin. Mr. Adams spent eight years wrongfully convicted before being exonerated with the help of the Wisconsin Innocence Project. while he is incarcerated, mr. Adams focused on learning all the ins and outs of criminal legal systems, both to understand how such an injustice had come about and to be able to change it. after his exoneration, mr. Adams earned his law degree and worked on the Innocence Project, where he argued in the same court that had convicted him a decade earlier and won. In this engaging memoir, Mr. Adams shares his experience and the stories of his clients, painting a stark portrait of deeply flawed legal systems.
available for pre-order here (will be released on September 14).
2. solitaire by albert woodfox
albert woodfox spent 44 years and 10 months in angola prison, often called the bloodiest prison in america, while insisting on his innocence. He spent most of that time in solitary confinement and it is widely reported that he spent more time in solitary confinement than any other person in the United States. during his wrongful imprisonment, mr. woodfox dreamed of writing a memoir. after his release, he wrote lonely, an incredible and profound book that chronicles his fight for justice. The book was a Pulitzer Prize winner and a finalist for the American Book Award.
solitaire is available to purchase here.
3. better not bitter by yusef salaam
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In this moving memoir, Dr. Yusef Salaam tells the story of his survival as a wrongfully convicted teenager. he details how his family and his faith carried him through seven years of unjust imprisonment and supported him when he returned to his community. This is a must-read for those who watched When You See Us on Netflix and want to hear directly from one of the Exonerated Five. dr Salaam, a board member of the Innocence Project, is also the author of Pounding the Air, a young adult novel written in prose, and Words of a Man, a selection of his poetry. .
Better Not Bitter is available to purchase here.
4. picking cotton by jennifer thompson-cannino and ronald cotton with erin tournament
In 1984, an intruder broke into Jennifer Thompson-Cannino’s home while she was sleeping and raped her at knifepoint. after seeing a photographic lineup that used faulty eyewitness practices, mrs. Thompson-Cannino mistakenly chose Ronald Cotton as the person who had attacked her. Mr. Cotton spent 10 years wrongfully imprisoned before DNA evidence proved his innocence and exonerated him. after his exoneration, mr. cotton and more Thompson-Cannino developed an unlikely friendship and teamed up to shine a light on how wrongful convictions happen. picking cotton is their story.
picking cotton is available to purchase here.
5. lives to tell the tale by anthony wright with rob g. Kelly
anthony wright was a 20 year old dreaming of the nfl when he was wrongly arrested for rape, robbery and murder in philadelphia. He spent 25 years in prison before DNA exonerated him in 2016, with the help of the Innocence Project. In this compelling memoir, Mr. Wright takes readers through his long and difficult journey, from interrogations that paint a picture of how innocent people can be pressured into making false confessions to rejected appeals and his first moments of freedom.
live to tell is available to purchase here.
6. the sun is shiningby anthony ray hinton with lara love hardin
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anthony ray hinton spent 30 years on death row in alabama for murders he didn’t commit. as a black man in the south experiencing poverty, mr. Hinton faced an uphill battle to prove his innocence, but he didn’t give up. In 2015, he was freed with the help of Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. During his decades of wrongful conviction, Mr. hinton stood strong and was a beacon of hope to those around him. the sun does shine tells the story of his survival.
available to purchase here.
7. getting life by michael morton
The day after Michael Morton’s 32nd birthday, he returned home from a full day of work to find that his wife had been murdered in their home. although no physical evidence linked him to the crime, mr. Morton became the prime suspect. In 1987, he was convicted and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison in Texas. He spent 24 years in prison before being exonerated by DNA, with the help of the Innocence Project and the law firm of Raley & bowick drawing in mr. Morton’s personal musings, journal entries written during his wrongful imprisonment, court documents and more, Getting Life guides readers through the missteps that led to Mr. Morton’s wrongful conviction and how he got his freedom back.
getting life is available to purchase here.
8. infinite hope by anthony graves
In 1992, Anthony Graves was wrongfully arrested for murder. Although he had no motive for the crime and no physical evidence connected him to the murders, he was convicted and sentenced to death in Texas. Mr. Graves spent 16 years wrongfully convicted, most of them in solitary confinement and on death row. He came close to being executed twice and was finally exonerated in 2010, after a new investigation of his case found that the prosecutor in his case had concealed exculpatory evidence, given false testimony and lied. this powerful memoir recounts mr. the incessant struggle of the tombs to live and be free.
Infinite Hopeis available to purchase here.
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