Senator Patricia Jehlen with Sean Ellis, Exoneree and Director of Exoneree Network.

On September 12 at City Winery Boston, as the New England Innocence Project commemorates 20 years of fighting for freedom at their annual storytelling event, Voices of the Innocent, the social justice nonprofit will honor Senator Patricia Jehlen for her more than 20 years of dedicated service in support of wrongfully convicted people and their families.

Over the last two decades, Senator Jehlen has passed landmark legislation to compensate victims of wrongful convictions. Working directly with people who have been exonerated, their loved ones, and advocates, Senator Jehlen has tirelessly fought for people who have endured the trauma of wrongful imprisonment and long-term incarceration, ensuring that they are supported in freedom and compensated for what they have suffered.

Senator Jehlen has helped people understand that, when someone is exonerated and freed, they are not automatically given support or assistance from the state that wrongfully convicted them. Instead, exonerees are required to go back to court, fight for compensation, and even when they succeed, they do not always receive an adequate sum for such a tragic injustice.

Senator Jehlen has championed funding for the Exoneree Network, a program of the New England Innocence Project that creates a thriving community for families impacted by long-term incarceration and provides direct support, including housing, financial stipends, therapeutic spaces, and more.

“The New England Innocence Project has helped free numerous innocent people, often after decades in prison,” says Senator Jehlen. “I worked to pass the 2004 Wrongful Convictions compensation law, based on stories like that of Lawyer Johnson. But even when people like Sean Ellis were exonerated after decades in prison, they had to fight for months or even years to get any compensation. I’ll continue to work for reform with the New England Innocence Project and the Exoneree Network. I’m honored to receive this award, and am so grateful for their dedication to justice for people unjustly robbed of their liberty.”

“Senator Jehlen has devoted her time, and heart, to wrongfully convicted people and their families so that their long-fought freedom can be a time of joy and reunification. Her work has been a salve for the trauma caused by wrongful incarceration,” says Radha Natarajan, Executive Director of the New England Innocence Project.

The ARC OF JUSTICE Award recognizes the special contributions of a community member who “bends the arc of the moral universe toward justice.” Senator Jehlen has been an incredible partner to the New England Innocence Project over the last 20 years and has truly bent the arc of the moral universe toward more justice for wrongfully convicted people.

Event & Arc of Justice Award Presentation Details:

Voices of the Innocent: Free Us All! (https://www.newenglandinnocence.org/voicesoftheinnocent)

September 12, Program at 7:00 p.m.

City Winery Boston | 80 Beverly Street, Boston, MA

“Senator Patricia Jehlen’s unwavering support of the Exoneree Network has provided not just a voice for the wrongfully convicted but a lifeline to hope and healing,” says exoneree and Director of the Exoneree Network, Sean Ellis. “She understands that justice doesn’t end with exoneration – it extends to rebuilding lives, restoring dignity, and ensuring that every exoneree has the opportunity to thrive. Her leadership is a continuation of hope for those of us who have faced the unimaginable, and her work stands as a powerful reminder that true justice is rooted in humanity and compassion. The Arc of Justice Award is a testament to her unyielding commitment to creating a more just and equitable commonwealth.”

About Voices of the Innocent: Free Us All!

Join us in celebrating our 20th anniversary as a nonprofit at Voices of the Innocent, the New England Innocence Project’s annual storytelling event and fundraiser. At this unique and powerful event, we will hear stories from innocent people impacted by wrongful convictions and their loved ones and learn what it takes to persevere in the fight for freedom.

Funds raised through this event directly support the work of the New England Innocence Project by providing forensic testing, investigation, experts, an experienced legal team, and social service advocates to free innocent people, bring them home to their loved ones, and help them rebuild their lives in freedom. Through public support, we can also educate and advocate for systemic change to prevent future tragedies. Learn more at www.newenglandinnocence.org/voicesoftheinnocent.