Attorney, Author and activist, Jarrett Adams was wrongfully convicted of a crime at age 17 and sentenced to 28 years in a maximum-security prison. After serving nearly ten years and filing multiple appeals with the assistance of the Wisconsin Innocence Project, the Seventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals exonerated him.
He used the injustice he endured as inspiration to become an advocate and attorney for the underserved and often uncounted. Jarrett Adams earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in May 2015.
In early 2016, he started as an attorney with the Innocence Project in New York. Working in the litigation department, Jarrett dams earned one of his first victories, exonerating a man in the same Wisconsin prison where he had served time during his wrongful conviction.
Mr. Adams launched the Law Offices of Jarrett Adams, PLLC, in 2017 with offices and attorneys in New York, NY, Chicago, IL, and Milwaukee, WI. He expects to open a Los Angeles, CA office in 2022.
He is also a co-founder of Life After Justice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing wrongful convictions and developing an ecosystem of support and empowerment for exonerees’ as they rebuild their lives after exoneration.
As an author, Mr. Adams shares a cinematic story of hope and redemption in his memoir, Redeeming Justice, to be released on September 14, 2021. His account of incarceration, exoneration, and redemption has been featured widely in the media, and he has become a sought-after motivational speaker for athletes, students, inmates, attorneys, and others.
On Jan. 17th, the nation honored and celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Since the inception of the Federal holiday, the legacy of Dr. King’s work has been watered down and hijacked to justify the very opposite of what Dr. King fought and died for.
This year, the Chicago Defender wanted to know what Dr. King’s vision looks like today. We reached out to community leaders, activists, advocates, and experts in law, politics, healthcare, and education to ask the question, “What does Social Justice Look Like Now?”
The Chicago Defender spoke with Jarrett Adams about what social justice looks like now within the criminal justice system.
For more information on Jarrett Adams and his book “Redeeming Justice” visit his website.
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