STOLEN LIVES:
justice for all
the campaign
1.
Fair Appeals for All
Justice should not depend on wealth. Ensure every prisoner - especially innocents without money - have access to competent legal support and a fair path to appeal.
2. Support for the innocent
Freedom is not enough. Demand global support systems for those proven innocent - access to housing, healthcare and work after wrongful imprisonment.
3.
End the Death Penalty
No justice in killing the innocent. Call for the total abolition of the death penalty in all UN Member States - justice should never involve taking a life.
fairer appeals
One of the overlooked aspects of incarceration, particularly for those who have been wrongfully convicted, is the ability to appeal cases in a fair and transparent manner. In many cases throughout the world, once someone is convicted and incarcerated, even if they are innocent, the justice system can make it extremely difficult for them to exercise their right of appeal. The greatest barrier to a successful appeal for innocent prisoners is often money and the vast majority of prisoners are unable to afford a competent lawyer to represent them in their appeal. In many countries appeals processes do not exist. There are exceptions, such as the Innocence Network in the US and MOJO in the UK, who take on appeal cases pro bono, but they can only take on a very small number of cases.
Through our campaign, we wish to highlight the need for a fair appeals system in all UN Member States, one that does not discriminate against people simply because they are poor or unable to afford competent legal representation.
equal support
A shocking revelation to us when making this film was that if you are innocent and your conviction is overturned, there are often no support services available to help you on leaving prison. This is especially difficult for those who have served long sentences and are re-entering a very changed world with which they are totally unfamiliar. Most UN Member States have post-release support services for the guilty people who have served their prison sentences, but these are generally not available to those who have been exonerated , who are regularly turned down when they look for support. The Sunny Center is one of the only locations in the world that provides support for people who have been wrongfully convicted and exonerated.
We therefore wish to campaign for these services to be available in all UN Member Staes. We want countries to acknowledge that there will always be mistakes and miscarriages of justice within legal systems and that there is therefore a need to support those who have been wrongfully imprisoned by providing full post-release support in terms of, health, accommodation, work and education.
the death penalty
Sunny Jacobs spent much of her post-prison life campaigning against the death penalty, alongside Peter Pringle. The film brings attention to the cruelty and injustice of the death penalty. In a civilised global society where many other options of punishment and rehabilitation are available we should recognise that the death penalty is not the way forward. It is time that we take a stronger stand to fully abolish the death penalty in all UN Member States and this will be one of the main aims of our campaign. Abolition of the death penalty should be a precondition of being a UN Member State moving forward. The old phrase still rings true for those sentenced to death for murder: “Why do we kill people who kill people, to show that killing people is wrong”. But of course in many cases those who have been executed have neither killed nor committed any offence, as was the case of Sunny’s husband Jesse Tafero who was executed in the electric chair despite being an innocent man.
Justice for All is built on the belief that awareness leads to action. Whether you host a screening, start a conversation or contact your elected representatives, every action helps shine a light on the human cost of wrongful convictions and the importance of a fair justice system.
How You
CAN
Help?
1 / Follow & share
Stay connected with Stolen Lives: Justice for All and help amplify the campaign by sharing posts and stories.
2 / Support Justice Organisations
Follow and back groups like The Sunny Center Foundation, the Innocence Network and Art for Human Rights.
3 / Learn & Raise Awareness
Visit our website to learn about wrongful convictions, share what you’ve learned with your community and email your country’s Minister for Justice or equivalent official to let them know you stand for reform and support for the innocent.
4 / host a screening
One of the most powerful ways to raise awareness is to bring people together to watch Stolen Lives. Whether you're part of a community group, school, university, workplace, legal organisation or festival, hosting a screening can spark meaningful conversations about wrongful convictions and justice reform.
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Get in touch to organise a screening.
5 / Contact Elected Representatives
Real change begins when those responsible for making laws hear directly from the people they represent.
If Stolen Lives has inspired you to act, consider writing to your local elected representatives to ask what steps are being taken to reduce the risk of wrongful convictions and strengthen safeguards within the justice system.
Every country has its own legal system and political structures, but public engagement plays an important role everywhere. By contacting your representatives, you're helping to ensure that justice reform remains a priority.