TEAM ORTIZ
FRANCESCA
Francesca is a senior at Georgetown University studying Political Economy and Italian -she became fascinated with all facets of criminal justice after interning at the Bridgeport, CT Public Defender's Office the summer after her sophomore year. This experience sparked an ongoing curiosity for inherent issues in the American criminal justice system and inspires her to seek opportunities for attainable reform. Francesca plans to pursue a career in passion-based business and nonprofit projects that impact marginalized groups.
ISMARY
Ismary is a senior at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, studying Culture and Politics and Russian. Coming from a family of political prisoners, dissenters, and revolutionaries, she’s been raised with a mentality to hold the corrupt accountable, to fight for human rights, and to protect human dignity. At first focused on immigration reform, her interests have widened to include criminal justice reform and to fight for the rights of the incarcerated. Ismary plans to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector and the humanitarian aid sector. After a few years of “on the ground experience,” she hopes to pursue a dual degree in foreign service and law.
MORGAN
Morgan is a senior at Georgetown University studying Economics and Justice & Peace Studies. Morgan became interested in criminal justice reform after traveling with a group of students to Montgomery, Alabama in order to understand the US’s complex journey from slavery to mass incarceration. She is planning to pursue a career in the social impact sector upon graduation with a focus on gender equity or criminal justice.
“Our aim is to bring attention to Melvin’s story and the power dynamics in Reading, Pennsylvania that led to his erroneous conviction. We hope to put pressure on government officials, local police, and judges to review Melvin’s case in an objective and fair manner. We hope to highlight the sources of corruption and influence within the legal and political system in Reading in order to safeguard Melvin from being subjected to them again.”
- Team Ortiz
Making an Exonoree
Making an Exoneree is an extraordinary and unprecedented course and program. Every spring semester since 2018, a group of highly motivated Georgetown University undergraduate students reinvestigate likely wrongful conviction cases, produce short documentaries that suggest innocence, and create social media campaigns calling for exonerations.