A Decade of Freedom. 6 p.m. Aug. 27. $55. The Solarium, 321 W. Hill St., Decatur. georgiainnocenceproject.org.
A decade ago, a beaming Clarence Harrison took his first steps of freedom on a warm summer day after being wrongly imprisoned for 17 years.
Through DNA testing, the Georgia Innocence Project proved that Harrison, serving a life sentence for rape, kidnapping and robbery, was innocent. Harrison became the project’s first exoneree in August 2004.
To celebrate 10 years of freedom, the Georgia Innocence Project is throwing a party with a few of Harrison’s favorite things — barbecue, live music and dancing. The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Solarium in Decatur. Tickets are $55 and proceeds will go to GIP.
(To read an in-depth feature about Harrison's imprisonment and life after his release, go to myajc.com/news/news/exonerated/nfCNK/#4a13add3.3550477.735463.)
While Harrison’s freedom has been fraught with setbacks and challenges, including serious financial woes, he was upbeat during a recent phone interview.
“It’s been tough, but I don’t want to complain,” said Harrison, 54, of Marietta. “I am still free.”
GIP, a nonprofit organization that uses DNA testing to help free those wrongly imprisoned, was created in 2002. It’s part of a loose network of Innocence Projects across the country.
Since Harrison’s release, the organization has freed four more prisoners in Georgia. It has received more than 6,000 letters from prisoners seeking help and has accepted 63 clients.
Harrison said he gains deep satisfaction from helping the project and lending a hand to other exonerees rebuilding their lives after being released from prison.
“It’s important to me to give back and to help others,” he said.
While he and his wife are struggling to pay bills and are so short on money these days they don’t have a phone or cellphone, he said he realizes GIP is also in need of funds to keep the mission going.
In addition to law students who work as unpaid interns, GIP has three employees, including Executive Director Aimee Maxwell. The organization relies on donations, grants and fundraisers.
“It’s hard for a small nonprofit to survive, especially in tough financial times,” Maxwell said. “You have to make hard choices between doing the work and raising money to keep the doors open. That’s why it is so wonderful that Clarence chose to celebrate his anniversary with a fundraiser for GIP.
“While it is exciting to celebrate this milestone, it is a bit overwhelming to look back at Clarence’s struggle to rebuild his life during the past 10 years,” she said. “There have been a few hiccups along the way, but Clarence has handled them like a champ. Nothing really gets him down.”
Maxwell called the exoneration of Harrison the “high point in my professional career.”
In recent years, Harrison has teamed with local singer-songwriters Melanie Hammet and Ben Holst to tell his story through music.
The trio met regularly over several months, collaborating on a documentary-style CD about Harrison’s life in and out of prison. They called the project “Life Sentence.” They have been performing in churches and other venues in recent months, and Harrison plans to perform at least a couple of the pieces during next week’s bash.
For information about GIP, go to georgiainnocenceproject.org.
