:)Eighteen people have been exonerated of serious violent crimes from a single Texas county through DNA-testing in recent years. James Woodward was the latest person to be freed from confinement from Dallas County. He spent 27 years in prison for the wrongful conviction of raping and murdering his girlfriend in 1981. Statewide in Texas there have been 30 such exonerations. As a partial response, state Senator Rodney Ellis has called for a summit on innocence to take place on May 8, beginning in the Texas Senate chamber. Sen. Ellis said, "We've reached a tipping point on wrongful convictions in Texas. Nobody can seriously doubt that there's a problem, and next week leaders from across our criminal justice system will come together to start solving it."

Texas has a terrible time saying they were WRONG! Some of the powers that be are saying that we can't afford an Innocence Commission in TX. It is my opinion we can't afford not to have one. We execute more people than any other state and I know in my heart some of those executed are innocent but never had a chance to prove it. Our criminal justice system is broken!

Hi friends, I'm from Arkansas with an innocent son incarcerated in Kit Carson prison in Colorado. I know the pain and agony of witnessing a kangaroo court that cares nothing for truth, but only for convictions. He was convicted 2 years ago, and his appeal answer brief was due yesterday. We are not sure if that happened or not. But please pray that his appeal is successful.

But that's not why I'm posting here--lol. Since his conviction, I've learned a lot about false convictions and it wasn't until reading about the James Woodward case that I finally got the courage up to find out what "I" could do to help others. I had internalized my anger instead of 'doing' something to help.

To avoid a long story--I found out that right here in NW Arkansas an Innocence Project has just gotten underway!! I immediately contacted the public Defender who is coordinating this effort and had a meeting with him last week. They have 80 cases that they are currently working on and he told me that even though I am not an attorney--that they needed and welcomed my help. I am so excited to get started that I can hardly wait!!

He is suppose to get back with me soon to tell me what my duties will be. I know my part will not be anything significant, but hey--each stone in the wall is needed. If I can play but a small part to help ease the pain in another mothers heart for a falsely convicted son or daughter--then hey--I thank God for His call to do this.

So if any of you want to help too, then look up your state and see if there is an Innocence Project there. If not--see what it would take to get one started.

If the IP is correct in their estimate that over 20% of inmates are innocent--just think how many people that is!! We are told that 2.2 MILLION Americans are incarcerated right now in this country. 20% of 2.2 million is 440,000 INNOCENT people!! Good night friends--thats a whole city!! And one of them is my dear son!

Kudo's to those Texas Senators who are finally seeing the problem and even want to do something about it. I sure wish Colorado would do the same.

Thank you for the opportunity to voice this.

Hi Dismayzie and welcome to the CP forums.
Hope you get some justice for your son.

Rachel x

Texas hates to admit they are wrong.They would rather execute a innocent person.

:thumbsup: I so agree with you, poppyfanta. But none the less sometimes they just have got to realise they were wrong!