Oral History Project

Every client appointed a public defender has a unique and compelling story. This story begins long before they meet a public defender, and continues long after. The criminal justice system – as a system – has a vested interest in preserving public safety and promoting strong, healthy communities. Towards this end, LJC advocates for client-centered justice systems. All parties in the criminal justice system need to remember that every individual who goes through the system is an individual – the factors that led them there are unique, as are the consequences upon the individual’s family and community.

Storytelling is an exceptionally valuable tool to highlight the distinctly individual nature of every criminal case. LJC embarked on a limited ‘Oral History Project’ to capture the stories of Louisiana exonerees. At picnic tables, in living rooms and in office building, LJC’s oral history project captured four Louisiana exonerees telling their stories in their own words. LJC was very careful not to limit the story to the criminal charge, trial, wrongful conviction, appeal and exoneration, but to contextualize the experience in the larger scope of the client’s life.

Oral histories were taken from Dan Bright, Clyde Charles, Shareef Cousin, Doug Dilosa, and John Thompson. Most of the interviews last 4 or more hours, and have been shared with RAE (Resurrection After Exoneration), a New Orleans-based holistic services and support non-profit organization for exonerees and returning long term offenders. RAE was founded by Louisiana exoneree John Thompson, who served 18 years in prison, and endured 7 execution dates, before being exonerated by DNA evidence.

LJC also engaged local jazz portrait photographer Jenny Bagert to take portraits of the exonerees. Over several months, Jenny photographed 10 Louisiana exonerees. These compelling portraits give each oral history a face.

LJC worked with various individual donors to create an eight-panel installation of the exoneree portraits for the reception area of the Louisiana Public Defender Board offices in Baton Rouge, LA.

If you are a public defender client and/or public defender family member who has an oral history that you would like to share, please contact us at