Jarrett Adams, Esq., Co-Founder
Jarrett was wrongly convicted of a crime he did not commit at age 17 and sentenced to 28 years in a maximum-security prison. After serving nearly 10 YEARS and filing multiple appeals, Jarrett was exonerated with the assistance of the Wisconsin Innocence Project.
Jarrett used the injustice he endured as inspiration to become an advocate for the underserved and often uncounted. He earned his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in May 2015 and started a public interest law fellowship with the Honorable Ann Claire Williams, judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit - the same court that reversed Jarrett’s conviction because of his trial lawyer’s constitutional deficiencies. Jarrett also clerked in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York with the late Honorable Deborah Batts.
Prior to and during law school, Jarrett spent several years as a full-time Federal Investigator with the Federal Defender Program in Chicago, IL. In 2014, Jarrett received the National Defender Investigator Association Investigator of the Year award for his work with the clemency petition of Reynolds Wintersmith ultimately granted by President Obama.
Jarrett’s story of incarceration, exoneration, and redemption has been featured widely in the media, and he has become a sought-after motivational speaker for all audiences.
Antione Day, Co-Founder
Antione Day was pursuing a music career in Chicago in the 90s when he was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder and two attempted murders and sentenced to 60 years in prison. After serving 10 YEARS, his conviction was reversed, and he was (eventually) granted a Certificate of Innocence.
When he was released in 2002, Antione, like most exonerated persons, struggled to reintegrate and put his life back together. That experience propelled him to join Chicago’s Howard Area Community Center as a Prison Re-entry Outreach Coordinator in 2006. Antione has since continued to serve his community and the larger wrongfully convicted community. He’s also returned to music and created a purposeful sound with The Exoneree Band – a group of Exonerated men who perform at events to bring awareness to wrongful convictions.
Providing Strategic Leadership,
Accountability, and Long-Term Vision.
Grounded in lived experience, advocacy, and care — our Board of Directors brings together leaders who collectively spent over 93 years wrongfully incarcerated. That experience shapes every decision we make.
