Help Exonerees in Kentucky Get the Financial Justice They Deserve

In December 2019, Johnetta Carr received a rare pardon from Kentucky’s governor on the grounds of her actual innocence. Despite no physical evidence connecting her to the crime and DNA testing excluding her from having any involvement in the crime, Johnetta was wrongfully convicted of manslaughter at just 16 years old. She served more than 12 years behind bars and on parole for a crime she did not commit. Johnetta is the youngest person to be wrongfully convicted in Kentucky history, and it imposed many costs and hardships on her family. While Johnetta was able to clear her name with the help of the Kentucky Innocence Project, she has not received any compensation from the state. 

Johnetta is one of more than 20 innocent Kentuckians who have spent decades in prison for crimes they didn’t commit, and continue to suffer because Kentucky lacks a law to compensate exonerees. 

Kentucky is one of only 12 states without a compensation law, and this year state lawmakers have the opportunity to correct this injustice. Representative Jason Nemes plans to introduce legislation in 2023 to compensate exonerees and finally deliver financial justice for the wrongfully convicted. Use the form above to sign up to support compensating exonerees in Kentucky. 

This campaign is in partnership with the Kentucky Innocence Project.