In conjunction with Women’s History Month, Tiffin University’s undergraduate chapter of the Ohio Innocence Project (OIP-u TU) will present “The Unseen Victims of Wrongful Conviction” featuring Kelly McLaughlin on March 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Chisholm Auditorium inside Franks Hall on TU’s campus. This event is free and open to the public.
Kelly McLaughlin is an Ohio Innocence Project (OIP) advocate and partner of exoneree and OIP board member, Raymond Towler. Kelly has participated in programs about the impact of wrongful convictions on partners, families and loved ones of exonerees. Understandably, information on wrongful convictions focuses on the direct consequences on the convicted individual. It is important to recognize the significant psychological and emotional consequences inflicted on their partners, families and loved ones which includes shared trauma, strained relationships and stigmatization, all of which can be exacerbated by financial hardship.
Kelly partnered with Raymond to create the Exoneree Home, outside of Cleveland, which provides a place to live for those who have been released from prison following a wrongful conviction. Exonerees might get as little as a day’s notice before being released; some have no place to go, no money and no transportation. Even after being released from prison, it can take many more years before they are ultimately cleared which creates barriers to housing and employment. Although it is now owned and operated by fellow exoneree Charles Jackson, Kelly remains very involved. She extended the mission of the Exoneree Home with X-Freedom Studio to provide the same housing and compassionate care to people with disabilities.
“Kelly offers a different perspective on wrongful convictions, “said Dr. Steven Hurwitz, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Criminal Justice at Tiffin University and the faculty advisor for TU’s undergraduate chapter of the Ohio Innocence Project. “She provides insight on how wrongful convictions impact the family and loved ones of the wrongfully convicted. We are very appreciative of Kelly’s willingness to come to campus and share her story of advocacy for the innocence movement.”
Since its inception in 2003, the Ohio Innocence Project has released 42 wrongfully convicted Ohioans who have spent over 800 years total in prison for crimes they did not commit. This makes it one of the top performing members among the international Innocence Network. OIP continues to devote itself to freeing people who are imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. A team of six lawyers and twenty law students investigate hundreds of claims each year. It is the only Ohio-based nonprofit organization dedicated to freeing innocent persons, as well as educating the public on the flaws of our legal system and the societal issues that lead to such injustices.
In addition, OIP advocates for legislation that reforms the criminal justice system to prevent wrongful convictions. OIP has been involved in major reform efforts, including SB 77, which in 2010 mandated police departments use “best practices” in witness interrogations, photo arrays, live line ups and in collecting and preserving DNA evidence. More recently, OIP was instrumental in bipartisan efforts to reform the compensation system for people who have been wrongfully convicted and to require Ohio’s law enforcement agents to record custodial interrogations. OIP is now working on bills that would abolish the death penalty, allow courts to consider more DNA evidence and help the original crime victims in wrongful conviction cases obtain restitution from the state.
OIP-u:TU is an undergraduate-run extracurricular group, which belongs and reports to the greater OIP umbrella organization. Their mission is to further the goals of the collective, as well as provide educational and awareness-based programming about wrongful convictions and the legal system both on campus and locally. They are also affiliated with the Tiffin University School of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences.
For more information, visit facebook.com/OhioInnocenceProject. Please contact Dr. Steven Hurwitz, program faculty advisor with any questions at shurwitz@tiffin.edu.