Heather Ruzylo
To: Carey Campbell Subject: RE: Proclamation Request - Wrongful Conviction Day, October 2, 2019
From: Carey Campbell Sent: Friday, August 23, 2019 11:05 AM To: 'Sharon'; Bill Matson; Heather Ruzylo; Kristine Elia Subject: RE: Proclamation Request - Wrongful Conviction Day, October 2, 2019
Dear Sharon: Thank you for your email requesting a proclamation. I am keying in staff to assist in moving your request forward. I trust that they will be in touch further with details and next steps. carey
Carey Campbell | Manager | Office of the Mayor and CAO | City of Niagara Falls
4310 Queen Street | Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6X5 | 905.356.7521 X 4206 | [email protected]
From: Sharon < > Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2019 4:37 PM To: Jim Diodati
Good afternoon Mayor Diodati,
I hope this finds you well. My name is Sharon Wilton, a graduate of the Criminal Justice & Public Policy program at the University of Guelph, and a volunteer for Innocence Canada (formerly the Association in Defence of the Wrongfully Convicted). I am writing to you on behalf of Innocence Canada to request a proclamation for October 2nd, 2019 as Wrongful Conviction Day in Niagara Falls.
The purpose of Wrongful Conviction Day is to spread awareness about wrongful convictions and the effects these convictions have on individuals, their families, and the society at large. Through Wrongful Conviction Day, Innocence Canada aims to decrease the amount of wrongful convictions in Canada by encouraging the justice system to address issues that contribute to wrongful convictions.
Innocence Canada is a non-profit organization founded in 1993 and has been responsible for exonerating 23 wrongly convicted individuals. Amongst these exonerees are David Milgaard, Romeo Phillion, Steven Truscott, and Guy Paul Morin. There is an undetermined amount of individuals sitting in Canadian prisons right now for crimes they
1 did not commit. The varying factors leading to these convictions can include tunnel vision, false witness testimony, and forced confessions. Nobody is exempt from the possibility of being wrongfully convicted.
Please visit http://www.innocencecanada.com/ if you would like more information on the organization, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have further questions at 647-239-7672 or at
We hope that you will be able to offer us assistance in our mission to declaring October 2nd as Wrongful Conviction day across Canada.
Regards,
Sharon Wilton - Innocence Canada Volunteer
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