It was the year 1999 when justice duped the American People again with false vision impairment. This may seem as just another sad story for some but unfortunately for others, it’s an unnecessary reality. As for Mr. Maloney, most will never fully understand his reality.

First and foremost, I would like the family and friends of the murdered victim to know we mean no disrespect and we are very sorry for their loss.

In 1999, Mr. Maloney, then a 20 year old black man, was asked by his white friend to help dispose of evidence after the crime had been committed. Unfortunately, the crime that took place was a murder which Mr. Maloney had no prior knowledge of.

The State of Arizona’s entire case was based upon a lone witness against Mr. Maloney. It was the wife of the friend who committed the murder and who happens to be white as well. Before her husband's arrest, she previously made a statement to law enforcement that Mr. Maloney had nothing to do with the murder. After her husband was arrested for the murder, she tried to free her husband by changing her statement and telling Law Enforcement that Mr. Maloney confessed to her that he, himself, committed the murder. Needless to say, her husband who committed the murder, was acquitted of the murder charge and found guilty of a lesser offense pertaining to the murder case.

It’s important to note the racial disparities that are of no surprise,however, must not be ignored. It is a fact that the Criminal Justice System disproportionately affects communities of color with Black people being imprisoned at 6 times the rate of white people in the United States.

The woman’s husband is a free man while 25 years later, Mr. Maloney is still being held in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of a murder he did not commit.

Unfortunately, Mr. Maloney did not have competent representation for his criminal case and post conviction appeals. Due to the Judicial System, there is nothing Mr. Maloney can file with the Courts to obtain his freedom as he has exhausted every appeal remedy that was available.

I am not trying to minimize Mr. Maloney’s actions or say that he’s innocent of a crime due to his involvement after the fact. However, to release the man who committed the murder and deny Mr. Maloney the same opportunity is a failure and gross miscarriage of justice when it comes to the American Justice System and humanity itself.

Despite his misfortune, Mr. Maloney has been heavily productive in his rehabilitation. He has actively been working with Arizona State University Professor, Dr. Kevin Wright, ASU Faculty, ASU Graduate Students and prisoners for almost 8 years. Mr. Maloney contributed to the founding of The Arizona Transformation Project. Mr. Maloney has trained in Qualitative Human Subject Research through Arizona State University and also helped design the Peer Action Research. Mr. Maloney co-authored a technical manual for State of Arizona Governor, Doug Ducey’s Recidivism Reduction Team. Mr. Maloney has been published in two criminology journals. With the help of ASU Professor Dr. Wright, Mr. Maloney has been able to write a book of his own titled, “Imprisoned Minds:Lost Boys, Trapped Men and Solutions From Within The Prison”. The book was signed by Rutgers University Press and is set to be released in the Fall of 2024. He was a National Presenter at the American Criminology Association Conference via Zoom in 2023. It's clear that Mr. Maloney has made the best of his misfortune.

We should not give up on Mr. Maloney. The Court System failed him, however, we have the opportunity to give this man another chance of having a real life outside of prison. His father was never in his life and his mother passed away while he was in prison. Though he has a sister that would love an opportunity to have a life with her brother once again.

 We are asking for the maximum signatures for Mr. Maloney so his case can be reviewed by the Governor of Arizona and possibly give Mr. Maloney an opportunity to have a way to obtain his freedom

If you would like to know more about Mr. Maloney, he can be reached at the following contact information:

Erik S. Maloney ADCRR# 149284

ASPC R.R.C.C

1752 N Arica Rd

Eloy, AZ 85131