TEDx Talk is Live: No-Crime Wrongful Convictions Takes the Stage
Dear Friends, Happy Holidays! I am going to keep this short and sweet because I know how busy this time of year can be. I wanted to share the exciting news that my TEDx Talk about no-crime wrongful convictions — and what can be done to prevent them from happening — is now available for […]
Paperbacks, Podcasts and Presentations
Dear Friends, This proud book mama is writing to share the exciting news that SMOKE BUT NO FIRE has entered the world in paperback! I will continue donating all author proceeds to organizations that help people who were wrongly convicted get back on their feet after they’ve been released from prison — so buy your […]
Pod Save the People Podcast Interview
Lean Into the Joy (with Prof. Jessica S. Henry) DeRay, Kaya, Sam, and De’Ara cover the underreported news of the week, including rural schools, suicide rates, Black Film Archives, and Portland’s vaccine mandate. DeRay interviews Prof. Jessica S. Henry (author of “Smoke But No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened”) about no-crime wrongful […]
Democracy on the Move Podcast Interview
Jessica Henry, author of the book Smoke But No Fire – Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened, drops by to discuss the book’s topic; people convicted of crimes that never happened. You read that right; people are often convicted of crimes that never took place, and many have served years in prison and […]
One-Year Anniversary and Book Winners!
Dear Friends, August 4th marked the one-year publication anniversary for Smoke but No Fire. And what a year it has been! From podcasts to virtual speaking events, I have so appreciated the chance to shine a spotlight on no-crime wrongful convictions and the injustices that pervade our criminal legal system. I am equally thankful for […]
Book of the Year Award and Anniversaries
Dear Friends, I wanted to share some great news… SMOKE BUT NO FIRE is a Foreward INDIES Book of the Year Award Winner (Silver, Political and Social Sciences). I’m thrilled that the subject of no-crime wrongful convictions is getting a much-needed spotlight! If you want to help spread the word about SMOKE BUT NO FIRE, […]
Justice News from SCOTUS to a Wrongful Execution?
Justice News from SCOTUS to a Wrongful Execution? Dear Friends, The United States is the only country that allows children to be sentenced to life without parole (LWOP). But in the last 20-years, the United States Supreme Court had steadily limited the most severe sentences for children, including juvenile-LWOP. As I write in my latest […]
A One-Two Punch for Juveniles
April brought a one-two punch for juveniles. Punch One: Jones v. Mississippi (April 2021) For the last 20 years, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a string of decisions limiting the most severe sentences for children. The Court abolished capital punishment for juvenile offenders. It prohibited life without parole (LWOP) in cases that did not involve […]
Raise a Smoke but No Fire
Raise a “Smoke but No Fire” to Celebrate Good News Dear Friends, I am thrilled to share the news that “Smoke but No Fire” won the 2021 Montaigne Medal, which is offered each year “to the most thought-provoking books…[that] illuminate, progress, or redirect thought.” What an honor to have “Smoke but No Fire” selected for […]
Now That the Chauvin Verdict is in, Let’s Talk About How We Change Policing
The conviction of Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd marks a significant victory not only in the court of law, but for the Black Lives Matter movement. What the verdict does not do, however, is change the systemic issues that have left an open wound in communities of color, and in those of […]