John W Thompson Exonerated After 23 Years

Hi, my name is LaTonya Goldsby, President of Black Lives Matter Cleveland, and I'm fundraising to help provide mutual aid to our fellow community member John Thompson who was just exonerated for a crime he didn't commit. John was just released from prison on October 6, 2023, after serving 23 years. He walked out of the Cuyahoga County Jail into the loving arms of his son, family, and legal team, who have waited 23 years for this day.

In Ohio alone, 105 people have been exonerated for crimes they didn’t commit. That's a total of 1,123 years lost to the criminal justice system that can never be given back. On average, that's 10.7 years lost per case in Ohio. Across the country last year, the 233 persons exonerated lost an average of 9.6 years to wrongful imprisonment for crimes they did not commit—2,245 years in total, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. Cuyahoga County leads the state in wrongful convictions. The National Registry of Exonerations lists 37 people whose cases have been overturned in the county since 1994. The county with the next highest total was Franklin, with 14. Since 1989 3,396 people have been exonerated that more than 30,250 years lost to the criminal justice system. There are more innocent people in our jails and prisons today than ever before. The rate of exonerations continues to rise, revealing an unreliable system of criminal justice.

John W Thompson is just one story of thousands of people who have been impacted by our criminal justice system by way of wrongful conviction. While we are overjoyed for John and his fight to regain his freedom, we also understand the hardship that he still has to endure as he transitions back into his community; and that inadequate support for re-entry leads to recidivism. Returning citizens encounter significant barriers to accessing affordable housing, education, healthcare, and recovery treatments.

To learn more about John’s fight for his freedom and the disparities of wrongful convictions across the country, I’ve attached some articles published about John’s case and some national data on wrongful convictions. We can never give John back the time he’s missed with his family and community, but we can show him what the love of community looks like by helping him get back on his feet. Please consider donating and leaving a message of love and support for John. https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/behind-bars-for-23-years-man-now-free-after-rape-charges-thrown-out