Crime

Published on October 21, 2015 | by Adrian DiStefano Photography by Megan Hutchison

Wrongfully convicted man turns despair to inspiration

Have you ever received a birthday gift that you deeply despised? So did John Artis, only his was a prison sentence of more than 13 and a half years.

At the age of 19, this New Jersey track star had a bright future ahead of him with a college scholarship in reach. However his dreams shattered after being wrongfully convicted of a triple homicide.

Artis explained his wrongful conviction experience to a group of justice studies students at the University of Guelph-Humber on Sept. 30. “It’s almost like being stranded out to sea in the middle of the ocean not knowing which direction to go, not knowing if your help will ever come and not knowing if you will ever get out of there,” Artis said.

Fast-forward 30 years after his release. Artis, who is a motivational speaker, has just been appointed the new ambassador of the Association in Defence of the Wrongfully Convicted.

This non-profit organization’s mission is to help those individuals who were wrongfully convicted and prevent such injustices from proceeding in the future.

So why does a wrongfully convicted felon use his own tragedy to make a difference?

“Being a wrongfully convicted person and understanding what one who is in that position goes through and has to go through, I felt that coming upon me to reach out and do whatever I could to help those that have or still are where I’ve been,” Artis said.

The first annual Wrongful Conviction Day was on Oct. 2. Artis wishes that people are aware of this international issue through his empowering seminars about his own nightmare.

“I hope people have some type of insight and understanding about the convolutedness of law and how easy it is for one to be convicted and incarcerated anywhere,” Artis said.

Artis’s voice has drawn interest from many people, including association volunteer Alice Zheng; who hopes that Wrongful Conviction Day serves as a reminder of the injustice in the justice system and hopes that people will spread the word.

“I feel that it is important to have more people become aware of this issue because any of us can be a victim in wrongful convictions,” Zheng said.

About the Author

Adrian DiStefano Is a third year Media Studies student at the University of Guelph-Humber. He aspires to work in the broadcasting field as an entertainment correspondent.