MEET OUR TEAM
Jarrett Adams, Esq., Co-Founder
Jarrett was wrongly convicted of a crime he did not commit at age 17 and sentenced to 28 years in a maximum-security prison. After serving nearly 10 YEARS and filing multiple appeals, Jarrett was exonerated with the assistance of the Wisconsin Innocence Project.
Jarrett used the injustice he endured as inspiration to become an advocate for the underserved and often uncounted. He earned his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in May 2015 and started a public interest law fellowship with the Honorable Ann Claire Williams, judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit - the same court that reversed Jarrett’s conviction because of his trial lawyer’s constitutional deficiencies. Jarrett also clerked in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York with the late Honorable Deborah Batts.
Prior to and during law school, Jarrett spent several years as a full-time Federal Investigator with the Federal Defender Program in Chicago, IL. In 2014, Jarrett received the National Defender Investigator Association Investigator of the Year award for his work with the clemency petition of Reynolds Wintersmith ultimately granted by President Obama.
Jarrett’s story of incarceration, exoneration, and redemption has been featured widely in the media, and he has become a sought-after motivational speaker for all audiences.
Antione Day, Co-Founder
Antione Day was pursuing a music career in Chicago in the 90s when he was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder and two attempted murders and sentenced to 60 years in prison. After serving 10 YEARS, his conviction was reversed, and he was (eventually) granted a Certificate of Innocence.
When he was released in 2002, Antione, like most exonerated persons, struggled to reintegrate and put his life back together. That experience propelled him to join Chicago’s Howard Area Community Center as a Prison Re-entry Outreach Coordinator in 2006. Antione has since continued to serve his community and the larger wrongfully convicted community. He’s also returned to music and created a purposeful sound with The Exoneree Band – a group of Exonerated men who perform at events to bring awareness to wrongful convictions.
Obie Anthony, Board of Directors
Obie Anthony was sentenced to life without parole for a murder he did not commit when he was 19 years old. California incarcerated him for 17 YEARS. When he was exonerated and released in 2011 Obie didn’t even have identification – no social security card or birth certificate. After seventeen years in prison, he didn’t know what to write on his resume, how to land a job, or even how to use a cell phone. He had to learn on his own how to establish his life again. That’s when he dedicated himself to supporting other exonerees to meet their basic needs after release.
In 2016, Obie founded Exonerated Nation, and is committed to transforming the experiences of exonerees after release, and building a community that can provide safety, stability, and healing to wrongfully convicted Californians.
Obie played a crucial role in the passage of a bill that requires the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to assist exonerees with transitional services, including housing assistance, job training, and mental health services. This bill is referred to as “Obie’s Law.”
Obie is a proud recipient of the 2017 Rockwood Leadership Institute Returning Citizens Fellowship and a regular speaker at Loyola Project for the Innocent, the Innocence Project, and other community dialogues about exoneration and incarceration.
Terrill Swift - Chairperson, Board of Directors
Terrill Swift is an exoneree who spent over 15 YEARS wrongfully incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. At the age of 17, he was arrested and interrogated in connection with a rape and murder case. Despite the immense adversity he faced, Terrill's resilience led to his eventual exoneration. Now, he uses his experiences to advocate for criminal justice reform and raise awareness about wrongful convictions, inspiring others with his unwavering commitment to justice.
Drawing from his personal experience, he has actively campaigned for reforms in youth interrogation practices, playing a pivotal role in Illinois becoming the first state to pass legislation that bans the use of deception in youth interrogations. Terrill has also collaborated with legislators to successfully pass a similar bill in California, which recently adopted such crucial legislation.
Furthermore, Terrill is currently immersed in writing his upcoming book, which he expects to announce the release of in the near future. This venture represents his commitment to sharing his invaluable experiences and insights with a wider audience, aiming to inspire and empower others.
As LAJ’s chairperson, Terrill assumes a pivotal role in guiding and shaping the organization's mission and vision. With unwavering commitment, he actively contributes to advancing the goals and objectives of LAJ, ensuring its impact on the lives of those affected by the criminal justice system
Tyra Patter - Vice-Chairperson, Board of Directors
On Christmas Day in 2017, Tyra walked out of prison after serving 23 YEARS for crimes she didn’t commit. She soon after reclaimed her narrative as an exoneree and became a dynamic speaker, advocate and thought leader for injustice.
Today Tyra lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and travels all over the country speaking at law schools, colleges, prisons, conferences, high schools and more to educate people on injustice, mass incarceration and wrongful convictions. She works at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center and leads their Community Outreach efforts in addition to maintaining paralegal and fundraising duties. Her work and story have been highlighted in numerous major media outlets including CNN, ABC News, Rolling Stone and Essence.
Tyra is heavily involved in the art scene of Cincinnati where one of her biggest joys is advocating for hiring and creating pathways to entrepreneurship for artists directly impacted by incarceration. She was awarded an Honorary Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Art Academy of Cincinnati. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Just Media, ArtWorks Cincinnati and Black Art Speaks. She was recently appointed to the Board of Trustees for the Art Academy of Cincinnati.
Anna Vasquez, Board of Directors
Anna Vasquez is the Director of Outreach and Education for the Innocence Project of Texas. She took on that role after serving a nearly 13 YEAR prison sentence for a crime that never occurred.
Anna and three of her friends, who became known as the San Antonio Four, were convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child. The case dates back to 1994 when Anna was only 19. She and her friends spent 24 years fighting for their innocence. In 2016, the Court of Criminal Appeals deemed all four actually innocent.
Anna is now dedicated to sharing her experience in the hopes of improving the justice system and preventing similar occurrences.
Kristine Bunch, Board of Directors
Kristine Bunch is the Vice President and Treasurer for the Indiana Innocence Project.
After being wrongfully convicted in the death of her three-year-old son Anthony in 1996, Kristine Bunch spent more than 17 years behind bars before she was finally exonerated. While incarcerated, she earned her undergraduate degree from Ball State University in English and Anthropology. Now, she is an advocate for the wrongfully convicted and the exonerated alike.
Recognizing the profound challenges that accompany exoneration, Kristine has dedicated herself to easing the burdens of fellow exonerees, tirelessly working to provide them with access to essential resources and support networks vital for rebuilding their lives. Through her unwavering commitment, Kristine Bunch embodies the transformative power of resilience and serves as a guiding light for those who have endured the darkness of wrongful conviction.
Ken Berry, Board of Directors
Ken Berry is a passionate advocate for justice, with a remarkable journey from wrongful conviction to becoming a dedicated advocate for prison reform and civil rights. After being wrongfully convicted and spending OVER EIGHT YEARS in prison, Mr. Berry’s conviction was overturned with the pro bono assistance of Winston & Strawn, and he was granted a new trial. Upon his exoneration, he devoted his time to public interest and pro bono work, helping others who were wrongfully convicted and fighting for prison reform.
Ken’s accomplishments include securing a $1.125 million damages award for a pro bono client, advocating for safer and more rehabilitative prison environments, and volunteering his time to help young people overcome criminal history barriers. His extensive community involvement includes serving on the boards of Purpose Over Pain, the Terrell Bosley Anti-Violence Association, and the John Howard Association, all while continuing his work with Winston & Strawn’s Pro Bono Counsel to argue for the parole of long-term prisoners.
Throughout his career, Ken has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Liberty Bell Award, the Volunteer of the Year Award from Legal Aid Chicago, and an ABC 7 News profile for his impactful contributions to society.
Ken continues to use his personal experience and legal expertise to make an extraordinary impact in his community, advocating for justice, equality, and the reform of the criminal justice system.
Joi Thomas Adams, Executive Director
Inspired by her passion for bringing compelling stories to life, Joi Thomas Adams uses her skills as a lawyer to draft and negotiate a variety of television and film programming deals. Her colleagues and clients value her adept ability to anticipate business changes, offer innovative solutions and share legal guidance on risk allocation, regulatory compliance and strategic planning. And it’s that breadth of experience that she brings to her non-profit work.
Joi’s involvement in the non-profit world began years ago – first as a board member and then as the decade-long president of Chicago’s Minority Legal Education Resources (MLER). Joi’s visionary leadership was punctuated with masterful fundraising and consensus-building. With those tools, she revitalized the existing programming and redeveloped its resources devised to assist law students from underserved communities in passing the Bar exam.
In her personal life, Joi met and later married Jarrett Adams – a man wrongfully convicted at age 17, exonerated a decade later and today a lawyer – who co-founded Life After Justice (LAJ). Her marriage brought her to a new purpose and the culmination of her experiences made her an invaluable member of LAJ.
With Joi at the helm of Life After Justice, she helps bring to life Jarrett’s pledge that no other wrongfully convicted individual goes through what he did to regain his freedom. By building on his story, Joi and the Life After Justice board and team are creating a new ecosystem of support for the wrongfully convicted community.
Meghan Paulas - Secretary, Board of Directors
Meghan Paulas joined ACS in 2015 and currently serves as the Vice President of Network Advancement. In this capacity, she manages the existing network of ACS chapters, builds and maintains relationships with advisors, leaders, and members, and integrates network activities and network members into ACS’s substantive and volunteer initiatives.
Before joining ACS, Meghan served as a Supervising Attorney Advisor at the Social Security Administration and as the Assistant General Counsel of the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Meghan also served as the Chair of the ACS Chicago Lawyer Chapter Board of Directors.
Meghan graduated from the James Madison College at Michigan State University with a B.A. in Social Relations and Policy. She earned her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she was an ACS Student Chapter leader and spent most of her time in the Criminal Law Defense Clinic.
Meghan is a member of the Chicago Council of Lawyers and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Life After Justice
Rahmon Brown - Treasurer, Board of Directors
Rahmon joined Ropes & Gray’s business restructuring group in 2022. His practice focuses on all aspects of corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, and insolvency proceedings, including advising public and private companies, boards, financial sponsors and distressed investors in complex out-of-court liability management transactions, distressed acquisitions, and in-court chapter 11 proceedings. Rahmon helps clients navigate the stressful environment inherent with complex restructurings, working to find creative solutions in financially distressed situations.
Prior to private practice, Rahmon clerked for Hon. John T. Dorsey in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and Hon. Hannah L. Blumenstiel in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California. Rahmon is actively involved in various community organizations and maintains an active pro bono practice. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Life After Justice.
Charlotte Whitmore, Legal Director
Charlotte Whitmore joined LAJ as Legal Director beginning in January 2023. Charlotte Whitmore is also currently a Senior Attorney at the Boston College Law School Innocence Clinic, where she supervises students in investigating and litigating wrongful convictions in Massachusetts. She previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, helping to develop best practices and procedures for potential wrongful convictions.
Charlotte received a 2010-2012 Equal Justice Works Fellowship to become the first staff attorney for The Pennsylvania Innocence Project, where she investigated and litigated claims of actual innocence by persons incarcerated for crimes they did not commit. Charlotte was the recipient of the Penn Law School Young Alumni Award in 2014 for her representation of Eugene Gilyard, who was exonerated after 15 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly named Charlotte one of their Lawyers of the Year in 2023 for her representation of Thomas Rosa, who served over 35 years of wrongful imprisonment.
Charlotte Whitmore is a 2003 graduate of Dartmouth College and a 2008 honors graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. While at Penn Law, she was a Senior Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Law and Social Change. Charlotte formerly served as a law clerk for Hon. Marjorie O. Rendell of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and U.S. District Court Judge Anita B. Brody. She has taught as an adjunct professor at Boston College Law School, Temple University Beasley School of Law and Drexel University's Earl Mack School of Law.
Roberta Granero Gomes, Staff Attorney
Roberta’s journey to LAJ has been shaped by a diverse set of experiences. She has a business degree, is a licensed lawyer in both Brazil and New York, and comes from a unique cultural background as an immigrant from Brazil. All of these give her a distinct perspective on LAJ’s work.
Before joining Life After Justice, Roberta served as a Research Fellow at the Innocence Project's Science and Research Department. Her legal career began in Brazil, where she worked as a Criminal Defense Attorney at Vilardi Advogados Associados for over four years. During this time, she also volunteered with a nonprofit organization focused on assisting individuals who were unlawfully held in custody by local authorities.
In 2016, Roberta moved to the United States to pursue a master's degree at the University of Southern California, where she graduated as one of the top ten percent of her class.
In 2022, she became LAJ's first full-time employee. Today, Roberta serves as LAJ’s Operations Manager and Staff Attorney. Her responsibilities are wide-ranging, from fundraising and program development to team-building and close collaboration with LAJ's Executive Director. In her capacity as LAJ's Staff Attorney, Roberta plays a critical role in evaluating complex innocence claims for potential representation by the organization.
Roberta's diverse skill set and unwavering dedication make her an integral part of our mission to support wrongfully convicted individuals and their journey to true freedom.
Sarah Elkins, Staff Attorney
Sarah Elkins is currently a staff attorney at LAJ. Prior to joining LAJ, Sarah completed a two-year fellowship with the clinical programs at Boston College Law School. As a fellow, Sarah worked with the Boston College Innocence Program investigating and litigating wrongful conviction cases in Massachusetts. Throughout her fellowship, Sarah also worked with the Boston College Lifer Parole Clinic representing clients at their parole hearings. Sarah earned her undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University and law degree from Boston College Law School.
Parise King, Empowerment Resource Coach - Holistic Mental Health Program
Parise is a native Detroiter. She has worked in the nonprofit community in Detroit as a Recreational Therapist, Activities Program Coordinator, Unit Leader and Behavioral Specialist throughout her career. She received her BS from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Recreational Therapy and a minor in Psychology. She is experienced in mental health counseling, program building, and recreational therapy.
Parise uses an integrative approach in providing counseling services while also offering recreation therapy to enhance the therapeutic process. Parise also has previous experience facilitating behavior programming for Detroit inner city youth and their families at charter schools. She led recovery-focused groups in therapeutic programs for co-occurring facilities.
As a recreational therapist, Parise is passionate about helping clients gain independence, self-awareness, and insight into their thoughts, feelings, and behavior by tapping into their hobbies and interests. Her unique approach has helped clients meet their goals.
With her 20 years of experience working in the mental health community, Parise has developed a deep appreciation for how nonprofits seek to improve the quality of life and communities one program at a time.
Parise currently serves as the Resource Coach for LAJ's Mental Health Pilot Program, playing a pivotal role in its success. With a primary focus on participant coordination, provider support, and program efficiency, Parise ensures smooth operations and effective communication. Her expertise and guidance significantly contribute to the program's effectiveness, fostering positive outcomes for all involved.
Dr. Darlene Perry, Program Manager - Holistic Mental Health Program
Dr. Perry is a clinical and forensic psychologist. She is licensed to practice in the states of New York and Illinois. While in New York, she held administrative roles in community mental health and social justice settings overseeing pre and post-release programming and advocating on behalf of youth and young adults in the criminal justice system. She also provided court ordered forensic evaluations through the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation for the boroughs of New York City.
Additionally, she was part of a group practice at New York Center for Neuropsychology and Forensic Behavioral Science. She conducted evaluations and provided treatment to victims of trauma, families in dispute, individuals with chronic mental illness and was part of a team that provided clinical services to adults under the federal parole system for a wide range of offenses that included fraud, violence, drug violations, and sex crimes.
As part of her professional trajectory, Dr. Perry began to expand her work close to 15 years ago and committed to being an agent of change and a steward for social justice. She provided consultation, training, and facilitation across different settings and groups to address barriers, value clashes, and other challenges that create inequities and the lack of inclusion.
Dr. Perry relocated to Chicago, Illinois in 2007 to help form The Chicago School Forensic Center at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP). Dr. Perry served as the Executive Director of the Forensic Center for ten years. Under her tenure, the Center provided no cost to low cost specialized services to marginalized children, families, and adults involved in court systems, and trained graduate level students to be civically engaged clinicians. She was also an Associate Professor in the Department of Forensic Psychology at TCSPP. Presently, Dr. Perry works in private practice. She continues to provide a wide range of clinical and forensic oriented services, as well as consultation, training, and facilitation within systems and community-based organizations aimed at system change for marginalized and underserved communities of promise.
Dr. Perry is a vital contributor to the development of LAJ's Mental Health Pilot Program. She designed a curriculum to educate and train psychologists, counselors, and social workers on the nuances of wrongful convictions and effective treatment approaches for those impacted. Currently serving as LAJ's Mental Health Consultant and Program Manager, Dr. Perry plays a multifaceted role. Dr. Perry trains and advises providers, ensures effective candidate selection, and fosters team collaboration. Dr. Perry's expertise and leadership enhance the program's impact and support the well-being of participants.
Vanessa Bouché, Director of Research
Dr. Vanessa Bouché is an award-winning scholar and thought leader whose extensive research on human trafficking has garnered international recognition. Her expertise has been sought after by numerous prestigious organizations, including the U.S. State Department, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Polaris, the McCain Institute, Thorn, and Allies Against Slavery.
Dr. Bouché's work is characterized by a deep commitment to social justice and inclusion. As an applied mixed-methods researcher and social entrepreneur, she has pioneered innovative, data-driven solutions to address critical social issues. In response to the paucity of publicly available, valid, and reliable data on human trafficking in the United States, she established the largest open-access, searchable web application dedicated to human trafficking data in the country. Recognizing the significant barriers trafficking survivors face in obtaining sustainable, living-wage employment, she founded a social enterprise to advance economic justice for trafficking survivors.
Dr. Bouché holds a B.A. from Columbia University, an M.P.Aff. from the University of Texas at Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs, and a Ph.D. in political science from The Ohio State University. Her professional background includes experience as an intelligence analyst and as an Associate Professor at Texas Christian University. She currently serves as a Research Fellow and Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Dr. Bouché is dedicated to advancing a more equitable and just society. She inspires teams to envision transformative possibilities and drives collective efforts towards achieving systemic change.
Ricky Kidd, Core Research Team - National Survey
Ricky is a nationally recognized speaker, author, advocate, and founder of I Am Resilience. In 2019, after spending over 23 YEARS in prison, Ricky Kidd’s conviction was overturned, and he was released. His release marked a monumental victory for the wrongly convicted and catalyzed broader discussions on the flaws within the criminal justice system.
Ricky served as the Philanthropy and Outreach Manager at MIP and was elected to serve as a member of the Innocence Network Executive Board & selected to be on the Kansas City DA Community Advisory Board. His unwavering resilience and commitment to justice have earned him numerous accolades and recognition.
He has been featured in various media outlets, including documentaries, podcasts, and television shows, raising awareness about the urgency of reforming the justice system.
Beyond his advocacy work, Ricky is a symbol of hope, proving that it is possible to find redemption and rebuild one’s life after enduring profound injustice. He inspires others, showing the power of perseverance, education, and the unwavering pursuit of truth.
Sean Ellis, Core Research Team - National Survey
Sean is an exoneree, motivational speaker, and fierce advocate for reforms to the criminal legal system. At the age of 19, Sean was arrested for the murder of a police officer and was wrongfully convicted at his third trial, only after two juries could not reach a unanimous verdict. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Significant police corruption and misconduct, including witness coercion, evidence tampering, and misleading forensic evidence, led to Sean’s wrongful conviction. He was fully exonerated in 2021 after spending nearly 22 YEARS in prison for a crime he did not commit and his story is now the subject of the Netflix docu-series, Trial 4.
In 2020, he co-founded the Exoneree Network, a peer-led program funded by the New England Innocence Project, to support the practical, emotional, and spiritual reentry needs of exonerees as they process the trauma of long-term incarceration and work to rebuild their lives in freedom.
Sean is frequently invited to speak to help spread awareness about wrongful convictions throughout New England. He spoke at NEIP’s 2020 Voices of the Innocent: Power in Community virtual event and was an exoneree storyteller at the inaugural Voices of the Innocent: Still We Rise in 2019.