In September 2020, Lacino Hamilton was exonerated for the murder of his foster mother, Willa B. Bias, and released after 26 years in prison. Convicted at the age of 19, the only evidence linking Hamilton to the Bias's death were a confession police forced from Hamilton, and the statement of a jailhouse informant. Through his decades in prison, Hamilton educated himself on the nature of the prison system and how to fight back, thanks to the help of existing Black Nationalist prisoners' organizations. Hamilton wrote thousands of letters to journalists and lawyers seeking support with his case, and also became a contributor to Truthout, where he shared his firsthand experience and analysis of the prison system.

Lacino Hamilton is a writer, thinker and activist who was incarcerated for 26 years thanks to a wrongful conviction. For more information about his case, see:
“Ring of Snitches: How Detroit Police Slapped False Murder Convictions on Young Black Men.” https://truthout.org/news/item/29950-ring-of-snitches-how-detroit-police-slapped-false-murder-convictions-on-young-black-men

After being sent to prison, he spent four of his first six years in solitary confinement. It was there that he began to read, think critically and distinguish between expressing a desire to change and demonstrating the ability to achieve it. He can be reached for a larger discussion on this and related topics via email.: Lacino.hamilton@gmail.com

Studio/Post-production: Cameron Granadino

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REVIVAL TODAY WITH JONATHAN SHUTTLESWORTH - NOVEMBER 2ND, 2025