Tom Rhodes - Innocent and freed after 25 years!

Sara Jones is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Great North Innocence Project.

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On January 13, 2023, Thomas Rhodes was freed after 25 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit! Will you help Thomas as he transitions to his new life of freedom?

Thomas (center) with his brother and son as he leaves prison

Learn more about Thomas' case

At the time of Thomas' conviction, it was 1998. He was 39 years old, and he was a father with two children, aged twelve and sixteen. In the 25 years that he was incarcerated, his sons have grown up and started families of their own. At 63, he is now a grandfather to six grandchildren.

Despite knowing he did not commit the crime for which he was convicted, Thomas used his time in prison to improve himself and help others. He says one of the most meaningful projects he participated in was a dog training program where he taught rescue pups manners and tricks so they'd be more likely to be adopted. Thomas shares there was one dog in particular that made his way into Thomas' heart, Boscoe. Because of Thomas' training, Boscoe was adopted into a loving home, but Thomas says that it was Boscoe who kept him going when he felt his hope running out.

Thomas and Boscoe

Since being freed with help from the Great North Innocence Project, Thomas has been enjoying spending time with family and friends. However, he is also learning that life on "the outside" comes with significant stresses compounded by his unique situation. Without savings and no employment history, Thomas is struggling to financially survive when he should be considering retirement.

Thomas shared, "The last two weeks have been awesome spending time with my children, grandchildren, and other family! Although I'm still working on transitioning into the "real world," I lost 25 years of my life and income. I also don't have a resume for the last 25 years. No one wants to hire a 63-year-old felon with no work history for over two decades."

We invite Thomas' community to rally around him now that he has been rightfully freed and support his ongoing transition. Thomas hopes to be able to support himself enough to find housing, and maybe one day even adopt a dog of his own. He also plans to continue helping more rescue dogs find their "fur-ever" homes!

"Things are tougher than I anticipated and this would alleviate a lot of stress," he shared about finding financial support.

Will you help Thomas find peace by contributing to his GoFundMe campaign? After 25 years in prison for something he did not do, he deserves to focus on acclimating to life with his family without the additional stress of finances.