The Sunny Center

The Sunny Center Uniquely dedicated to the healing and happiness of the exonerated and their loved ones who have suffered the effects of wrongful incarceration.

Sunny Jacobs spent 17 years in a Florida prison for a crime she did not commit. Peter Pringle was wrongly imprisoned in Ireland for 15 years. Both were exonerated, but received no compensation or assistance to reenter the society that had so deeply wronged them. The two met at an Amnesty International event and bonded over their shared experiences with miscarriages of justice. They soon found peace and love, and now dedicate their lives and their home to helping other exonerees do same. As exonerees themselves, Sunny and Peter are intimately familiar with the struggles that plague individuals released with nothing after years of incarceration: no home, no job, no skills, and often times no family, friends, or sense of self. It is their goal to provide a safe haven for these people to heal from the inside out and to build a new life for themselves, one in which they will not be identified by their wrongful conviction or exoneration, but by who they are as human beings. Guests at the Sunny Center are invited to stay as long as necessary (usually around a month). Travel, food, and accommodation are provided at no cost.

***Flights for exonerees are funded by donated air miles. If you would like to make a donation, either in miles or money, please visit sunnycenter.org.***

In addition to donations, volunteers are always needed at the Sunny Center. Volunteers are expected to help with the animals (goats, hens, dogs, cats), gardening, and housework. Accommodation and food will be provided as needed. Please contact Sunny and Peter at [email protected] for more information.

09/20/2026

✨ Shine Like Sunny Sunday ✨

This weekend marks one year since we gathered in New York to celebrate my mom’s life. 💛🌻

Her Celebration of Life was so thoughtfully and beautifully put together by her friends, The Sunny Center Foundation, and so many people who loved her. There were tears, laughter, stories, memories, and so much love for Sunny in that room.

But something else incredibly special happened that weekend.

After nearly 30 years of not seeing each other, my brother Eric and I were brought back together.

In coming together to celebrate our mom’s life, somehow she brought her two children back to each other. 💛

And when I think about what it means to Shine Like Sunny, I think there’s a lesson in that too.

🌻 Bring people together.

🌻 Tell people you love them while you can.

🌻 Don’t let too much time, hurt, or distance stand in the way of reconnecting.

🌻 Celebrate the people you love and the impact they’ve had on your life.

One year later, I’m still incredibly grateful to everyone who helped create such a beautiful celebration for my mom and surrounded our family with so much love.

That weekend was about saying goodbye to her, but somehow, in the middle of that goodbye, she gave my brother and me something back.

Each other. 💛

Mom, you’re still bringing people together.

💛 Shine Like Sunny. 🌻

Keep Hope Alive.

09/10/2026

💛🌻 Shine Like Sunny Sundays Update from Tina 🌻💛

I wanted to take a moment to apologize for missing the last two Shine Like Sunny Sundays.

Life has been a little overwhelming lately, and while it was never my intention to miss them, the past couple of weeks got away from me.

Thank you for your patience, your support, and for continuing to follow along as we honor Sunny’s legacy together.

The good news is that Shine Like Sunny Sundays will be returning this coming Sunday, and I look forward to continuing to share memories, lessons, stories, and the incredible impact Sunny had on so many lives.

Thank you for helping keep her light shining.

💛 Shine Like Sunny. 🌻

Let's talk about Sanctuary Housing at the Sunny Living Center in Tampa, Florida.We understand that traditional, complian...
08/27/2026

Let's talk about Sanctuary Housing at the Sunny Living Center in Tampa, Florida.
We understand that traditional, compliance-based halfway houses actively re-traumatize exonerees and freed individuals after wrongful incarceration. The Sunny Living Center was thoughtfully designed to counteract decades of extreme institutional control.
It is a values-based, empowering space where individuals are given the time, safety and support they need to direct their own healing journey. That journey looks different for everyone. Some people stay for a few months to decompress, some have stayed for years until they are ready.
For people returning to society after years or decades of wrongful incarceration, the Sunny Living Center can be the foundation for healing, stability, dignity, and hope.
Our Sanctuary Housing Model creates an environment intentionally designed to support people to return to the community as they rebuild their lives after wrongful incarceration.
Sanctuary Housing provides:
🏠 Safety — a secure place to rest and recover
🤝 Community — connection after years of isolation
💛 Dignity — respect, choice, and independence
🌱 Healing — space to process the impact of wrongful incarceration
✨ Belonging — the opportunity to feel welcomed and at home
🧭 Stability and Purpose — a foundation for building a meaningful future
Sanctuary Housing is not simply temporary shelter.
It is a healing environment where people can regain stability, reconnect with community, and move forward with dignity and purpose.

✨ Shine Like Sunny Sunday ✨Tomorrow would have been my mom, Sonia “Sunny” Jacobs’ birthday. 💛🌻Birthdays have a way of ma...
08/23/2026

✨ Shine Like Sunny Sunday ✨

Tomorrow would have been my mom, Sonia “Sunny” Jacobs’ birthday. 💛🌻

Birthdays have a way of making us miss the people we love a little extra, but they also give us a reason to celebrate the incredible life they lived and the light they brought into this world.

My brother Eric and I want to celebrate our mom today—not just for the extraordinary story the world knows, but for the woman she was to the people who loved her.

She was a mother, grandmother, friend, teacher, mentor, and a safe place for so many people. She had an incredible ability to turn unimaginable pain into compassion, wisdom, love, and hope.

Sunny spent 17 years wrongfully imprisoned, including five years on death row. But she refused to let those years define the rest of her life. She chose happiness. She chose forgiveness. She chose love. And she dedicated the years she had after her freedom to helping others find healing and hope.

That is the legacy we want to continue.

The Sunny Center Foundation carries on the work that meant so much to Mom and Peter—helping people who have been wrongfully imprisoned and exonerated find safety, support, healing, and a place to rebuild their lives.

So for Mom’s birthday, we’d love to ask you to help us celebrate her by helping keep that work alive.

🎂 If Sunny touched your life, inspired you, taught you something, or you simply believe in the work she dedicated her life to, please consider making a donation to The Sunny Center Foundation in her honor.

💛 Donate here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=PPHB44GP7QKX4&ssrt=1700658685199

And if you’re not able to donate, that’s okay. There are so many ways to Shine Like Sunny. Be kind. Listen without judgment. Be someone’s safe place. Choose happiness. Offer compassion. And always, always keep hope alive.

Mom taught us that even when we can’t control the circumstances around us, we can choose what we carry within us.

So today, Eric and I are choosing to carry her light forward.

Happy Birthday, Mom. 🎂💛

We love you. We miss you. And we will keep your light shining.

💛 Shine Like Sunny. 🌻
Keep Hope Alive.

Good news is Good.
08/20/2026

Good news is Good.

08/20/2026
08/20/2026

Jason talks about "working together" furthering justice

08/17/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday, Michael Semanchik ! 🎉

Today we’re celebrating our Executive Director, Michael Semanchik!

Mike is always looking for ways to make The Innocence Center better, stronger, and more connected. He is constantly finding opportunities to collaborate, build relationships, and bring people together. One of his greatest strengths as a leader is the way he gives each team member the space, trust, and encouragement to pursue what we’re passionate about and bring our best to the work.

He also leads by example when it comes to a healthy work life balance. Whether it’s making sure we shut down after 5 p.m. when possible, hitting the gym, going to Taylor Swift concerts, coaching his kids’ Little League teams, or hosting a good BBQ with a solid craft b**r, Mike reminds us that meaningful work and a full life can go hand in hand.

We’re grateful for your leadership, vision, and constant drive to make TIC better.

Happy Birthday, Mike! Cheers to many more birthdays, great BBQs, and most importantly, many more exonerations! 🥂

08/17/2026

There should never be a hard deadline when it comes to filing a motion to prove innocence. Sign our petition to support HB 1422.

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83 Leonard Street , Ground Floor
Manhattan, NY
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