Pell Grant for inmates' education can make society safer by keeping re-offense rate under check
Recidivism, the tendency of a convicted criminal to re-offend, is 14% for those who obtain an associate degree, 5.6% for those with a bachelor’s degree, and 0% for those who secure a master’s degree.
Aug 12, 2019
Living With Freedom | Pregnant Maria Shepherd was imprisoned for her stepdaughter's death, 25 years later she was found innocent
Maria Regina Shepherd, then 21, was a mother of two young children and pregnant with her third child when her one of her kids, her stepdaughter Kassandra, passed away. Kassandra was 3 and a half years old at the time and had suffered from two grand mal seizures - one of them she never came out of.
Jul 26, 2019
Living With Freedom | Maryland's first exoneree Leslie Vass talks about justice, PTSD, and starting over from scratch
An armed robbery at a drug store in 1975 changed Leslie Vass's life. Until the day of his hearing, he had no idea that he was being framed.
Jul 24, 2019
Living With Freedom | John Stoll served 20 years for a crime that never happened and built his life back up with just $80 in his pocket
Stoll, a 41-year-old carpenter at the time, was wrongfully incarcerated for child molestation in 1985 and sentenced to 40 years in prison. He was convicted on 17 counts. There was no physical evidence and the testimonies of six boys, aged seven to nine, were contradictory.
Jul 12, 2019
Living With Freedom | Maurice Caldwell's innocence was a secret everyone knew, and yet he spent 20 years behind bars
Maurice Caldwell was the son of Donald Ray Caldwell, a man convicted of killing a San Francisco police officer, and it seemed as if everyone was eager to make him pay for his father's sins
Jul 2, 2019
Living With Freedom | Cassandra Rivera's wrongful incarceration stole 13 years of her children's love from her and now she's slowly winning it back
Cassandra was one of the four women who were wrongfully incarcerated of sexually assaulting two young girls in San Antonio, Texas.
Jun 20, 2019
Living With Freedom | Elizabeth Ramirez of the San Antonio Four lost out on 17 years with her son after being wrongfully incarcerated
Liz was known as the ringleader of the San Antonio Four, a group of women who served more than a decade in prison after being wrongfully incarcerated for sexually assaulting two children
Jun 18, 2019
Living With Freedom | Kristie Mayhugh, one of the San Antonio Four, is going back to vet school to pursue her dreams of helping animals
Kristie Mayhugh was one of the four women accused of molesting two children in San Antonio back in 1994. The group went on to be famously known as the San Antonio Four
Jun 13, 2019
Living With Freedom | After 27 years of being wrongfully incarcerated on rape charges, Johnny Pinchback has finally found the life he deserves
Pinchback was convicted and sentenced for the rape of two teenage girls, who misidentified him in a police lineup, and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He was shattered, devastated and in disbelief
Jun 12, 2019
Living With Freedom | Anna Vasquez, part of the 'San Antonio Four', spent 13 years in prison for a crime she did not commit, her story is her legacy
Anna Vasquez was one of the four women accused of molesting two children in San Antonio back in 1994. The group went on to be famously known as the San Antonio Four.
Jun 11, 2019
Living With Freedom | Even after being proven innocent, Rafael Madrigal is still awaiting justice from the State of California
In July 2000, Madrigal was charged with committing a drive-by shooting in East Los Angeles on behalf of the Ford Maravilla gang, following which he was convicted in 2002 with a prison sentence of 25 years to life
Jun 6, 2019
Living With Freedom | Timothy Atkins still struggles to clear his name after being wrongfully imprisoned for 23 years
Atkins was wrongfully incarcerated for 32 years to life after a witness falsified her testimony. He was just 17 years old at the time.
Jun 5, 2019
Living With Freedom | The triumph of Obie Anthony: After 17 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, on his release the hard part began
Anthony was wrongfully incarcerated on murder and armed robbery charges in 1996 at the age of 19 with no physical evidence tying him to the case
Jun 4, 2019