John Galvan with his mother, Linda, after his release on July 21, 2022. (Image: Ray Abercrombie / Innocence Project)
12 Inspiring Photos of Mothers Who Have Fought Wrongful Conviction and Never Given Up
This Mother's Day, we're celebrating the women who have taken a stand against wrongful conviction through powerful photos.
05.12.23 By Dani Selby
Ian Schweitzer embraces his mother, Linda, following his exoneration in Hilo, Hawaii, on Jan. 24, 2023. (Image: Marco Garcia/Innocence Project)
“My mom stuck by me all these years,” said John Galvan, who was wrongly convicted at the age of 18 and spent 35 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Mr. Galvan was freed and exonerated in Illinois last year, and was met by his mother, who waited hours to greet her son upon his release.
For so many wrongly incarcerated people, their families are their support systems. In particular, their mothers act as their pillars of strength through years — and often decades — of wrongful incarceration.
Sandra Reed, whose son Rodney Reed is on death row in Texas, has been a steadfast advocate on his behalf for a quarter of a century. “This is my child’s life … they are attempting to take his life on nothing…” Ms. Reed said. “I’m going to let the world know what happened here. This is not going to be quiet. I’m not going to be quiet.”
Wrongful conviction has devastating impacts on any family but can be especially painful when a mother is wrongly incarcerated and separated from her children. Rosa Jimenez was pregnant with her second child when she was wrongly arrested for the accidental death of a child she had been babysitting. Approximately 40% of female exonerees were wrongly convicted of harming their children or other loved ones in their care, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.
Ms. Jimenez gave birth to her son in jail while awaiting trial, and he was taken from her just days later. More than 60% of women in prison have children under the age of 18 and nearly 80% of women in jail are mothers, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. Ms. Jimenez had to wait 19 years, until she was freed in 2021, to hug him for the first time.
“I cannot get the time that I lost back and I don’t like to dwell so much on it because it is so, so sad,” she told the Innocence Project after her release. “[I] believe with all my heart that I’m going to be able to be there for my kids or my grandkids and we’re all going to be okay.” Ms. Jimenez is now expecting her first grandchild.
These mothers have all persevered through grave injustices, and on Mother’s Day, we honor them. These powerful photos celebrate their strength and resilience.
John Galvan and Linda Flores
John Galvan’s mother, Linda Flores, holds a photo of young John. (Image: Tori Howard/Innocence Project)
Sandra Reed
Sandra Reed holds a sign in support of her son Rodney Reed at her home in Bastrop, Texas, on May 7, 2023. (Image: Montinique Monroe/Innocence Project)
Ian and Linda Schweitzer
Ian Schweitzer hugs his mother, Linda, after his exoneration in Hilo, Hawaii, on Jan. 24, 2023. (Image: Marco Garcia/Innocence Project)
Belynda Goff and Bridgette Jones
Belynda Goff with her daughter, Bridgette, at the 2023 Innocence Network Conference. (Image: Kenny Karpov/Innocence Project)
Rosa Jimenez, Brenda, and Aiden
Rosa Jimenez is reunited with her children after being freed in January 2021. (Image: Courtesy of the Innocence Project)
Robert and Myra DuBoise
Robert DuBoise hugging his mother Myra DuBoise following his release from prison after 37 years on Aug. 27, 2020, in Bowling Green, Florida. (Image: Casey Brooke Lawson/AP Images for The Innocence Project)
Yusef and Sharonne Salaam
Yusef Salaam and his mother, Sharonne, at the unveiling of the “Gate of the Exonerated” in New York City’s Central Park on Dec. 19, 2022. (Image: Jeenah Moon/Innocence Project)
Renay Lynch
Renay Lynch hugs her daughter and granddaughter after being freed in January 2022. (Image: Jeenah Moon/Innocence Project)
Philip and Tammy Barnett
Philip Barnett and his mother Tammy, whose two sons were wrongly convicted for 14 years. (Image: Kyle Jenkins/Innocence Project)
Johnetta Carr and Lorinda Baker
Johnetta Carr, who was wrongly arrested at the age of 19, with her mother Lorinda Baker at the 2023 Innocence Network Conference. Ms. Carr was represented by the Kentucky Innocence Project. (Image: Kenny Karpov/Innocence Project)
Leave a Reply
Thank you for visiting us. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone.