Joseph Brown has spent nearly 59 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Brown, now 89 years old, has been incarcerated in Louisiana since 1967.

At the time of his arrest, he was involved in a burglary. He has consistently maintained that when he realized people were inside the home, he immediately fled the scene. Another individual remained behind and committed the fatal shootings — and was later convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for his role in the crimes.

Brown has always said he never fired a weapon and never killed anyone. Supporting documentation and case inconsistencies raised over the years have been cited in relation to his claims of innocence.

Still, he received a life sentence after trial on one charge and later accepted a second life sentence through a plea deal during the racially charged era of the 1960s South. He was told his sentences would run concurrently under what was commonly referred to in Louisiana practice as a “10/6” understanding — meaning individuals who demonstrated good behavior would be released after 10 years and 6 months.

That release never came.

Instead, nearly six decades passed.

On a pardon hearing several years ago, officials opposing his release claimed he had already received leniency when he was allegedly removed from death row to a life sentence. However, Joseph Brown was never sentenced to death and was never on death row.

Today, Joseph Brown is 89 years old. His health is deteriorating. His vision is failing. Daily movement is increasingly difficult. Yet he remains incarcerated at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center.

“I never wanted anyone hurt,” Brown said. “I just wanted to go home.”

Brown has also long raised concerns about his inability to access or properly obtain his full criminal record — an issue tied to documented deficiencies and breakdowns within the Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal Court system, which has affected case transparency and record retrieval.

His continued incarceration raises urgent questions of fairness, record integrity, and proportionality — particularly for an elderly man who poses no public safety threat.

After nearly 60 years, this is no longer just a legal question. It is a question of justice and humanity.

We are calling for his immediate freedom.

No person who has spent nearly six decades in prison for a crime they did not commit should remain behind bars.

#FreeJosephBrown #JusticeForJosephBrown #59YearsTooLong