The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation

10/18/2026

“I made up a story based on information which they had given me that day, and in the six weeks run up to that day.”—Jeffrey Deskovic

How does an innocent teenager end up confessing to a crime he didn’t commit?

Our founder, Jeffrey Deskovic, joins Jason Flom on the latest episode of Wrongful Conviction to discuss the interrogation that led to his false confession at just 16—and his fight for justice.

📸 A little podcast history: the photo above is from Jeffrey’s previous appearance in 2016 alongside Amanda Knox and Jarrett Adams—10 years ago! This latest interview features Jeffrey and Jason in a one-on-one conversation.

🎧 Listen to “ #593 Jason Flom with Jeffrey Deskovic”:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/593-jason-flom-with-jeffrey-deskovic/id1151670380?i=1000792523654

Please listen and share. Understanding how wrongful convictions happen is part of preventing the next one.

10/17/2026

Flashback Friday 📸 Hard to believe this photo of Jeffrey Deskovic and Bill Bastuk is from around 2015—11 years ago! Time really is flying, and these two are still fighting for justice together.

Bill, founder and chair of It Could Happen To You, has been a longtime friend and partner in the Foundation’s reform efforts. His commitment is deeply personal: a former Monroe County legislator, Bill was falsely accused of sexual assault in 2008 and acquitted by a jury in 2009. He turned that devastating experience into a mission to protect others from wrongful prosecution.

Jeffrey, who lost 16 years to wrongful imprisonment, serves on It Could Happen To You’s advisory board. Together, they have advocated for prosecutorial accountability, stronger protections against wrongful convictions, and compensation for people rebuilding their lives after exoneration.

Consider this: just 15 years ago, in 2011, 23 states—nearly half the country—had no wrongful-conviction compensation law. People could lose years of freedom, prove their innocence, and still have no established state compensation process.

Progress has been made, but states still lack these laws, and existing laws can leave people behind. Jeffrey and Bill continue pushing for change, including their joint advocacy for compensation in Pennsylvania.

Eleven years after this photo, the friendship—and the work—continues. No payment can return someone’s stolen years. But every person wrongfully imprisoned deserves meaningful support and a chance to rebuild. ⚖️

10/14/2026

Reminder! Join Jeffrey Deskovic and filmmaker Jia Rizvi this Thursday, October 15, along with Nelson Cruz and Derrick Hamilton, for “Wrongful Conviction Day: The Power of Storytelling.”

Hosted by the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice, the event includes an excerpt from Sixteen Years, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A about wrongful convictions, sharing these stories, and the work still needed to bring people home.

Jia’s documentary follows Jeffrey’s journey after being wrongfully convicted and imprisoned as a teenager. Nelson Cruz will also share his perspective as he continues fighting for exoneration.

📅 Thursday, October 15 | 4–6 p.m.
📍 Cardozo School of Law, Jacob Burns Moot Court Room
55 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan

Reserve your spot: https://bit.ly/storytellingjd

📸 Photo above: Jeffrey and Jia at the New York Film Academy screening of Sixteen Years. Photo via Jia Rizvi’s IMDb page.

10/12/2026

Don’t miss Jeffrey Deskovic’s interview with Kevin Higgins on Barz Unlocked—available today at 3 PM Eastern!

Hear Jeffrey’s story and learn about his work to free the wrongfully convicted through the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation.

Watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/

Photo credit: WUNC

10/10/2026

How can investigators recognize a confession that isn’t true?

Two days ago, our founder, Jeffrey Deskovic, spoke to the New Jersey Crime Scene Investigators Association about that question—and the consequences of getting it wrong.

Jeffrey shared his journey from arrest and wrongful conviction to 16 years in prison, exoneration, rebuilding his life, founding The Foundation, and becoming an attorney.

He also examined what went wrong in the police investigation of his case, discussed false confessions and New Jersey statistics, and used real cases ending in exoneration to illustrate warning signs investigators should recognize.

Preventing wrongful convictions means bringing these lessons directly to the people investigating crimes.

Thank you to the Association for welcoming Jeffrey and making space for this conversation. We welcome opportunities to speak at other law enforcement and forensic science events—please contact us to connect.

10/10/2026

“I would never confess to something I didn’t do.”

Many people believe that—until they face an interrogation that pushes them to a breaking point.

Swipe through for three reasons innocent people can falsely confess.

Pictured above is Raymond Santana, a member of the Exonerated Five who was wrongfully convicted as a teenager in the 1989 Central Park jogger case and exonerated in 2002. His story shows how vulnerable young people can be under the pressure of interrogation.

Raymond is one of six exonerees featured in Robin Dahlberg’s photobook, Breaking Point: When the Criminal Justice System Fails, alongside our founder, Jeffrey Deskovic.

Through portraits, firsthand accounts, and interrogation records, Robin explores how false confessions happen—and the lives they upend.

All photographs in this carousel are from Breaking Point. Photography © Robin Dahlberg / Kehrer Verlag.

Read the latest coverage of Robin’s work:
https://bit.ly/robincoverage

Thank you, Robin, for helping bring these stories to a wider audience.

10/09/2026

Nearly 23 years taken. Six trials endured. Far too few years of freedom.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Curtis Flowers at just 56 years old.

Curtis spent nearly 23 years wrongfully incarcerated in Mississippi. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction because of racial discrimination in jury selection. All charges were dismissed in 2020.

But freedom could not return the decades he lost—or give him the many more years he deserved.

Although The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice was not involved in Curtis’ case, we join the innocence community in mourning his loss and honoring his life.

Our hearts are with his family, friends, and everyone who fought for his freedom.

Rest in peace, Curtis. Your life mattered, and your story will not be forgotten.

10/05/2026

Sixteen years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. What happens when the lawyer meant to defend you fails you?

On October 1, our founder, Jeffrey Deskovic, spoke with students at St. John’s University for Wrongful Conviction Day during “Beyond Police and Prosecutorial Misconduct: When Bad Lawyering Convicts the Innocent.”

In this excerpt, Jeffrey recalls wanting to testify about the threats and false promises used during his interrogation, which was not videotaped. His attorney discouraged him, telling him: “It’s not my job to prove that you’re innocent.”

Throughout his presentation, Jeffrey described failures in his defense—from feeling dismissed when he maintained his innocence to his attorney’s failure to question the medical examiner.

The prosecution bears the burden of proving guilt. But that does not make a thorough defense optional. Investigating evidence, challenging testimony, preparing carefully, and listening to a client can be essential to preventing a wrongful conviction. When those safeguards fail, an innocent person can lose decades.

Thank you to Professor Marina Sorochinski, the Justice Initiative Center, and the St. John’s University community for making space for these conversations. For students who will enter the criminal justice system, these stories show the human consequences of how they do their jobs.

10/03/2026

Thank you to Putnam Press & Times and reporter Holly Crocco for revisiting Andrew Krivak’s case on International Wrongful Conviction Day, and for documenting his release, acquittal and subsequent settlement.

Our Foundation helped assemble the legal team that challenged Andrew’s conviction and represented him at retrial. After approximately 24 years incarcerated, his story underscores the persistence these cases require—and the years no settlement can restore.

We’re grateful for local journalism that follows these cases over time and helps the community understand their lasting consequences. We also remember Josette Wright and her family’s enduring loss.

For Flashback Friday on International Wrongful Conviction Day, we revisit Holly Crocco’s reporting on Andrew Krivak’s Putnam County case.

The case began with the disappearance of 12-year-old Josette Wright in 1994. Her remains were discovered in Patterson the following year.

Krivak was convicted in 1997 and spent approximately 24 years incarcerated before his release pending retrial in 2020. A jury found him not guilty on February 27, 2023.

Attorneys Oscar Michelen and Karen Newirth represented him at retrial. The defense challenged witness testimony and argued that his confession was coerced. The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice helped assemble his legal team.

The Foundation’s founder, Jeffrey Deskovic, was himself exonerated through DNA evidence in 2006 after spending 16 years imprisoned for a Westchester murder. His case also had a Putnam connection: a county sheriff’s investigator conducted the polygraph examination during the interrogation that produced his false confession.

Following Krivak’s acquittal, DA Robert Tendy said the jury’s decision must be respected, while maintaining his belief in Krivak’s guilt.

In 2024, Krivak’s civil lawsuit was settled for $20 million, largely covered by insurance. Putnam County’s deductible was $200,000.

Holly’s photo shows his 2020 release from the Putnam County Correctional Facility and accompanied our 2024 settlement story.

Today, we reflect on the consequences of wrongful convictions while remembering Josette and her family’s enduring loss.

2023 acquittal:
https://bit.ly/putnamkrivak23

2024 settlement:
https://bit.ly/putnamkrivak

Reporting and photo: Holly Crocco

10/03/2026