VINCENT SIMMONS: NO EVIDENCE BUT 44 YEARS BEHIND BARS

The US prison-industrial complex is a multi-billion-dollar industry that profits from mass incarceration and disproportionately affects Black communities. The story of Vincent Simmons exemplifies the injustices of that system: structural racism, false accusations and wrongful convictions. He spent 44 years in jail before his conviction for aggravated r*pe was overturned.

While his unjust incarceration happened over four decades ago, there’s been little reform within the criminal justice system. At the end of 2024, Black people accounted for over 40% of the prison population while comprising approximately 14% of the US population. According to Bryan Stevenson, a prominent Black lawyer and advocate for criminal justice reform, ‘If current trends continue, one of every three Black males born today can expect to go to prison in his lifetime.’

A 2022 National Registry of Exonerations report found that Black people are nearly 7 times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder in the US than White people. According to the Innocence Project, Black people account for 50% of those exonerated for wrongful convictions.