The Ohio University Chapter of the Ohio Innocence Project-u will host its first meeting on Sept. 18 at 6 pm in Bentley Hall 120.
OIP-u provides a way for undergraduate and graduate students to raise awareness to the issue of wrongful conviction through events, biweekly meetings, tabling, and fundraising.
OIP-u is affiliated with the Ohio Innocence Project, based at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, which actively pursues exoneration initiatives on behalf of individuals who have been wrongfully convicted and incarcerated. To date, the organization has freed 28 individuals that were wrongfully convicted. They also advocates for lasting criminal justice reform through legislation.
OIP-u works to help shine a light on the issue of wrongful conviction. In the past, this organization has hosted several exonerees on campus to speak about their firsthand experience with the criminal justice system and share their story of being imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
Film screening of Southwest of Salem
OIP-u OHIO Chapter Past Events:
- “Brendan Dassey: A True Story of False Confession”—presented by Dassey’s post-conviction attorney Steven Drizin. Drizin discussed wrongful convictions, juvenile legal issues, and law enforcement pressures. Dassey’s false confession was featured prominently in the popular documentary, Making a Murderer.
- “Blind Injustice: A Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology and Politics of Wrongful Convictions”—featuring Mark Godsey, co-founder and director of the Innocence Project. Godsey is also the author of Blind Injustice.
- A screening of The Central Park Five—a film that chronicled the false confessions and convictions of five men wrongly accused in the Central Park jogger case. One of the five, Yusef Salaam, attended the film screening and a panel discussion.
- A screening of Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four, attended by the four womenwrongfully accused of molesting two young girls. They spent 15 years in prison fighting for their freedom.
- An Exonoree to Speak on Wrongful Convictions, attended by Ohio Innocence Project exoneree Dean Gillispie, who was wrongfully incarcerated for rape, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery in 1991. Gillispie served 20 years in prison for rapes that he always insisted he did not commit.
If interested in becoming an OIP-u member, please contact chapter President Jada Sparks, js342515@ohio.edu or chapter New Member Coordinator, Kheara Wright, kw174817@ohio.edu.
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