Network Awards: Innocence Network Annual Conference 2024

Every year, the Innocence Network gives out several awards to honor individuals who support and champion efforts that help free the wrongfully convicted, reform the criminal legal system, and/or highlight the costs and causes of wrongful conviction. Their work strengthens the integrity of the justice system, is imbued by their sense of fairness and professionalism, and demonstrates a lasting dedication to the fair execution of the law. At this year’s conference, we will be presenting three Network Awards—the Champion of Justice Award, the Impact Award, and the Jim Dwyer Award for Journalism—to the following individuals. We extend our respect and gratitude to each of them.

The Innocence Network is pleased to announce that Norris Henderson has been awarded the 2023 Champion of Justice Award. The Champion of Justice Award was created to honor those who have gone above and beyond in championing the efforts that free the wrongfully convicted and reform the criminal justice system to prevent future wrongful convictions. Their work strengthens the integrity of the justice system, is imbued by their sense of fairness and professionalism, and demonstrates a lasting dedication to the fair execution of the law. Norris Henderson was nominated for the award by Jee Park, the Executive Director of Innocence Project New Orleans, for his work with the Angola Special Civics Project, Voice of the Experienced, and Voters Organized to Educate. His tireless dedication to tearing down the current harmful criminal legal system, building a more just and humane system, and centering the needs and voices of those who have been impacted by the system makes him an exemplary example of what it means to be a true Champion of Justice. He is joining the ranks of past Champion of Justice Award winners such as the Comité Exijimos Justicia and Innocence Demand Justice; Larry Hammond, founder of the Arizona Justice Project; John Thompson, founder of Resurrection After Exoneration; and Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. The Network is proud to honor his incredible work.

The Innocence Network is pleased to announce that Susan Simpson, Jacinda Davis, and Kevin Fitzpatrick will be awarded the 2023 Jim Dwyer Award for Journalism for their coverage of the cases of Darrell Lee Clark and Cain Joshua Storey for the inaugural season of Proof: A True Crime Podcast. The Jim Dwyer Award was created to honor outstanding work about wrongful convictions and the reform of the criminal legal system. Such work is pivotal to demonstrating to the public the failures and successes of the criminal justice system, providing accounts of the plight of the wrongfully convicted, and highlighting the reforms needed and the action that can be taken to improve the criminal justice system. Their podcast was awarded for the remarkable work it has done to reinvestigate an old murder case and shed light on police misconduct. They not only told the stories of Darrell Lee Clark and Cain Joshua Storey but also uncovered new evidence that ultimately resulted in their exonerations. They are joining the ranks of past Jim Dwyer Award winners such as Elisha Anderson of the Detroit Free Press, Luke Nozicka of The Kansas City Star, and Liliana Segura of The Intercept. The Network is proud to honor their incredible work.

The Innocence Network is pleased to announce that Andrew Wilson has been awarded the 2023 Impact Award. The Impact Award was created to honor an exonerated or freed person who raises awareness of wrongful convictions, policy issues, or assists others post-release. Their work demonstrates a commitment to improving the criminal legal system and its outcomes or reducing the harm caused by the criminal legal system by working to help other freed people after their release. He was nominated for the award by Paula Mitchell, the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Innocence Project (LAIP), for his role as the Founding Donor of LAIP and for the establishment of his scholarship for students in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics. His generous gift has already had an incredible impact, and it will continue to have a lasting impact on the criminal legal system for generations to come. In addition to funding LAIP for its first two years, he has uplifted the voices of those impacted by wrongful convictions, and his tireless advocacy led to the release of Maurice Hastings, who was also wrongfully incarcerated. He is joining the ranks of past Impact Award winner Calvin Duncan, co-founder of Rising Foundations. The Network is proud to honor his incredible work.