Chauvin Verdict and Policing
Beyond the Verdict Dear Friends, The conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd was historic and significant. But one verdict alone will not bring about meaningful change and transformation. As one of my students so poignantly expressed “I am feeling relief, but not true joy.” There is still much work to be […]
Huckleberry Gin Podcast Interview
Jessica Henry, author of the book SMOKE BUT NO FIRE, joins host Carly Gelsinger to talk about the tragedy of wrongful convictions for crimes that never happen. At the end of the episode, Carly develops a signature cocktail recipe based on something that inspired her about the book.
Twenty Books About Wrongful Convictions that Will Change Your World.
Twenty Books About Wrongful Convictions that Will Change Your Life. Jessica S. Henry BOOKS ABOUT HOW WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS HAPPEN ACTUAL INNOCENCE: FIVE DAYS TO EXECUTION AND OTHER DISPATCHES FROM THE WRONGLY CONVICTED (2000) by Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld, and Jim Dwyer “At the Innocence Project, Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld have helped to free thirty-seven […]
March Mojo
Rain Can’t Dampen “Smoke but No Fire” Dear Friends, I’ve got one for you: Q: What falls during March but never gets hurt?A: The rain! If you live in New Jersey, you know what I mean (although today the sun is out and shining!). I’m writing to share the exciting news that “Smoke but No […]
Bobby Bostic and MPL
A Teenager Sentenced to 241 Years in Prison? Dear Friends, Happy February! January for me was a month to slowly exhale the tension of the last four years and to reorient toward all the good that is possible. What a wonderful feeling of relief. But (unfortunately) that doesn’t mean that all is right in the […]
Even the Sentencing Judge Now Agrees that Bobby Bostic Should Not Die in Prison.
Bobby Bostic was only sixteen-years-old when he was sentenced to 241 years in prison after trial for two armed robberies in which no one was killed or even seriously injured. His adult accomplice, who plead guilty, died while serving a 30-year-prison term. Unless the Missouri Governor or the Missouri state legislature intervenes, Bostic will die […]
MPL Check Us Out Podcast Interview
In the January edition of Montclair Public Library’s Check Us Out Podcast, Selwa interviews local author Jessica Henry, author of “Smoke but No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened.”
Holiday Wishes
Dear Friends, It’s a snowy Sunday as I write this final newsletter for the year. And what a year it has been. The pandemic. Publishing a new book in the middle of the pandemic. Virtual school and virtual work. While my immediate family bonded over pinball, chess games, and new-found cooking skills, we also experienced […]
Top Ten Criminal Justice Reform Wishlist for 2021
For the past seven years, I have written a year-end “wish list” of criminal justice reforms I’d like to see happen in the coming year. Here’s mine for 2021, with ways you can get involved below. What’s on your wish list? Immediately stop federal executions – and end the death penalty everywhere. Since July 2020, […]
Women & Crime Podcast Interview
After her three month old son Ryan got violently ill, Patricia Stallings rushed him to the hospital where he was placed in the pediatric intensive care unit. She and her husband were informed that their baby had been poisoned. Suspicions surrounded the couple, however it wasn’t until several weeks later when baby Ryan suffered another […]