What the Innocence Project’s Exoneree Advisory Council Is Reading (and Listening to) This Summer

Calvin Duncan wrote his memoir, The Jailhouse Lawyer, to tell the story that nearly three decades of wrongful incarceration tried to silence. At 19, Mr. Duncan was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to Angola Prison in Louisiana, one of the most notorious prisons in the U.S. With no legal training, he began filing appeals — first for himself, then for hundreds of others — becoming a powerful legal advocate from inside prison walls. 

The Innocence Project of New Orleans took on Mr. Duncan’s case in 2003 after uncovering withheld evidence that proved his innocence. After more than 28 years in prison, he was released in 2011 through a plea deal, though he maintained his innocence. On August 3, 2021, his plea was vacated, and he was fully cleared of the murder he did not commit.

Two years later, he earned a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School and now leads The Light of Justice Program, which assists incarcerated people gain access to the courts.

Published this July, The Jailhouse Lawyer chronicles Mr. Duncan’s extraordinary transformation from imprisoned teenager to a self-taught legal force whose impact ripples far beyond the prison gates. The book has already earned high praise including from bestselling author and Innocence Project Ambassador John Grisham: “If I created a fictional character like Calvin Duncan, no one would believe him and the story wouldn’t work,” said Mr. Grisham. “[Mr.] Duncan’s story is so incredible it strains belief.” 

It’s a memoir of persistence, justice, and the will to bring others along with you.