THE INNOCENCE PROJECT AND THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON MEN FOR BEING WRONGLY ACCUSED -

By Chloe Jones

The Innocence Project USA is a nonprofit legal organisation that is committed to exonerating individuals who have been wrongly convicted, through the use of DNA testing and working to reform the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. It works to free the innocent and create fair, compassionate and equitable systems of justice for everyone.

The project has used DNA tests to launch an appeal against convictions in a trial where DNA material had not been analysed. The system had failed the accused in one of 6 ways - eyewitness misidentification, invalid forensic science, false confessions, unreliable police informants, government misconduct or insufficient public defence system. The system innocence project USA helped in acquitting 375 convicts of crimes they didn’t commit.

Bryan Stevenson explains the Equal Justice Initiative is the legacy of racial injustice in America- involving centuries of white supremacy, racial violence and the marginalisation of people of colour- has evolved into the widespread presumption that people of colour are suspicious, dangerous and criminal- that young Black men are to be feared, monitored and even hunted.

Innocent Black and Asian men are more likely to be wrongly accused of sexual assault, murder and drugrelated crimes than innocent White men. However, all men have a much higher chance of being wrongly accused of paedophilia than women which can be life-ruining.

These insidious and implicit racial and misandrist biases create perceptions and presumptions that play out continuously in societal interactions. Not only race and gender but social class are no less important, those from lower economic status are more likely to be convicted. The fact that poor people are arrested more often than rich shows that they will be brought to trial more often and this must statistically lead to more court errors.

In public perception, people with poor mental health who may fall into drug use are inextricably linked to violence and crime and seen as a potential threat as opposed to needing support from the mental health sectors which can offer drug addiction support systems.

The Innocence Project London was established in 2010 and became a registered charity in 2020. Law and criminology students work alongside a practising lawyer to review and investigate cases of convicted individuals who have maintained their innocence but exhausted the criminal appeals process. Their work aims to submit an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission who review possible miscarriages of justice in the United Kingdom.

The chances of men being falsely accused of sexual assault, drug convictions, murder and paedophilia are a lot higher than women. Being falsely accused of such serious criminal offences can lead to serious negative consequences for the wrongfully accused and their families.

There is little research on the psychological and psychosocial impacts of wrongful accusations however from extracted data eight main themes have been identified: Loss of identity; stigma; psychological and physical health; relationships with others; attitude towards the justice system; impacts on finances and employment; traumatic experiences in custody and adjustment difficulties. Strategies for improving public perception of wrongful convictions should be explored and specific mental-health systems should be available to those wrongly accused.

You can donate money to Innocent Projects to help defend the wrongly accused and help diminish moral and media panic around black, Asian and white men by showing them support and trust.

THE NAGAR KIRTAN - By

Nagar kirtan or nagar sankirtan, is a tradition in the Indian religions involving the processional singing of holy hymns by a group in a residential area. They celebrate Vaisakhi which is the spring of the harvest festival in Punjabi.

This traditionally happens in May every year in Reading. This procession of saffron-robed Panj Pyare (which is the five Guru) is followed by Guru Granth Sahib, which is our Sikh bible which is placed onto a float. The road before the procession is cleared by Sewadars (Stewards).

The Panj Pyare, the five beloved men are initiated into the Khalsa (the brotherhood of the Sikh faith) under the leadership of the last of the ten Gurus, Gobind Singh, this started in 1699 CE. This Panj Pyare symbolises steadfastness and devotion.

Everyone is welcome to enjoy the free celebrations and join in with the Nagar Kirtan which will begin with prayers and messages for peace from the Shabad Kirtan (religious hymns).

Normally the procession will begin from Gurdwara (temple) on Cumberland Road at 10.30 am and will make its way to the Gurdwara on London Road in Reading then will go back. You would walk behind the float by covering your head with a turban, chunni, scarf or rumal.

Raveena Hargun

Some people walk without shoes on as well, but this is not required. You can come in traditional wear which is a suit for the women and kurta pajama for men however you can wear English clothes as long as they are not inappropriate.

The Nagar kirtan had been cancelled for the last 2 years due to Covid-19 but fingers crossed the Nagar Kirtan will happen this year. Also, free vegetarian food will then be served during the afternoon, which all are welcome to partake in.

Food4families Project

Food4families works with local communities, schools and individuals to help them sustainably grow their own food and improve their well-being. They work alongside the Reading Green well-being network, who claim that green spaces can help with climate anxiety.

Food4families explains “we support a network of community gardens across Reading to engage local people to access safe green spaces to learn and grow in. Since 2009 we have supported over 10,000 people to learn to grow in their local communities and have built more than 25 growing spaces’ their team of experienced garden tutors, outdoor practitioners and community engagers, work with local people to overcome barriers to the outdoors and equip them with skills and confidence.

Through their veg4Reading project, with the help of a network of volunteers, they have managed to grow 1.75 tonnes of fruit and veg for food banks in the past year. Proud members of the Reading Green well-

- By Chloe Jones

being network, deliver green care and nature-based interventions to people with a wide range of needs in and around Reading.

Reading Green well-being network has recently hosted a launch event for their community orchard, beginning to plant their trees from here.

Veg4Reading are proudly celebrating beating their own record and having donated a whopping 126.5kg of produce in 2022. This was all grown at the Veg4Reading beds at the Whitley grow allotment.

The wonderful volunteers should be reassured to know all their extra effort at keeping the beds well watered through the driest summer has paid off! If you’re interested in getting involved there are plenty of projects to take part in which you can access on the Food4Families website, as well as courses they are doing this spring; https://www.food4families.org.uk/Courses.cfm