The Breakfast Club INTERVIEW: Jarrett Adams On Being Wrongfully Convicted, 'Redeeming Justice,' Mental Well-Being, Prison Reform
Dec 18, 2025
In this riveting conversation, Jarrett Adams—wrongfully convicted as a teenager and now a civil rights attorney—shares his inspiring journey. He discusses his prison experience, which ignited his passion for justice reform and the challenges of becoming a lawyer from behind bars. Jarrett emphasizes the importance of mental health for advocates and exonerees, and highlights the systemic inequalities in justice related to race and wealth. His memoir, 'Redeeming Justice,' pays tribute to his family, and he calls listeners to actively participate in reform efforts.
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Wrongful Conviction Sparked His Mission
- Jarrett Adams described being wrongfully convicted at 17 and released after nearly 10 years with the Wisconsin Innocence Project.
- Seeing many young men of color in prison motivated him to prevent others from being incarcerated.
Choose Cases For Release And Systemic Change
- Prioritize cases that free people and create systemic change through legislation or rules.
- Adams says his intake process selects cases with both individual and policy impact potential.
Benz Brothers Exoneration And Compensation Fight
- Adams worked on the Benz brothers who were exonerated after DNA and exhumation proved another serial rapist committed the crime.
- Wisconsin initially capped compensation at $25,000 but later agreed to pay each man $1,000,000 plus $25,000.