My call comes from a deeply personal place, I, Leon Benson, am an exoneree from Marion County (Indianapolis, Indiana), who spent 25 years in prison for a crime I didn't commit. On October 2, we are honoring the lives and time lost on International Wrongful Conviction Day by starting a statewide effort to promote the importance of Conviction Integrity Units in Indiana. Today we are starting with St Joseph County.

My story casts a spotlight on the very real possibility of wrongful convictions throughout American and the world, and especially in St Joseph County. We must ensure that no innocent individual has to bear the brunt of a flawed justice system.

It is to this end that we are seeking your support to establish a Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) in St. Joseph County, Indiana. A CIU would lend tremendous credibility to our justice system, scrutinizing cases for possible misconduct or faults, safeguarding truth and justice, and ensuring the correct course for the law to work for the people.

There is an urgent need for such a unit. According to The National Registry of Exonerations, 3,593 people have been wrongfully convicted and later exonerated in the United States since 1989, accumulating a total of 32,750 years lost. Imagine the stories, dreams, and lives that chunk of time holds.

This is a matter that needs our joint attention and action. By signing this petition to the District Attorneys office, you can be an instrumental part of bringing about a significant change, and help build a more balanced justice system in St. Joseph County, Indiana.

Support the development of a Conviction Integrity Unit to make justice a reality and not a dream. 

After signing the petition you can call or write St Joseph County Prosecutor Kenneth P. Cotter at 227 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 1000, South Bend, IN 46601-1870. Phone: (269) 467-5547.

Let's stand together for justice. Please, sign the petition.