The Intersection of Art, Advocacy, and Science: How Art Can Inspire Empathy for Those Wrongfully Convicted

In 2016, artist, exoneree, and Right of Return Fellow, Sherrill Roland, wore an orange jumpsuit to his university campus every single day. At the time of his wrongful conviction, he was pursuing graduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, to which he returned following his exoneration. There, he grappled with feelings of mistrust and uncertainty regarding how those around him truly felt about him. With the guidance of his professors, Mr. Roland realized that he could use art to “dismantle the invisible barriers around [him]” and began wearing an orange jumpsuit to garner his peers’ authentic reactions to his wrongful conviction.

Titled “The Jumpsuit Project,” this deliberate effort confronted the stigma of incarceration — an experience he knew all too well after being wrongfully convicted in 2013.

“My exoneration was not [something] I could just hide,” he said. “Once I understood how [my peers] felt, I no longer felt isolated.”

While Mr. Roland returned to art following his release, Termaine Hicks, —  a member of the Innocence Project’s Exoneree Advisory Council — discovered art, particularly poetry and playwriting, as a tool for community building and healing while he was in prison. 

For nearly two decades, Mr. Hicks wrote his way through the pain of being shot three times and framed by Philadelphia police for a sexual assault he did not commit. 

“Art provided me with an alternate reality and a way to study people’s mannerisms and write authentic characters, healing both myself and others,” he said. 

Innocence Project’s Director of Social Work Suzy Salamy with Exoneree Advisory Council member Termaine Hicks and Right of Return Fellow Sherrill Roland at the October Wrongful Conviction Day event. (Photo: Jule Hall/Innocence Project)

Earlier this fall, both artists joined the Innocence Project’s Director of Social Work Suzy Salamy in conversation at the Center for Art and Advocacy to recognize Wrongful Conviction Day. They discussed their work and how art heals, helps process trauma, and builds connections. They also shared how art has reshaped how people both inside and outside the criminal legal reform space perceive the hardships and injustices that wrongfully convicted individuals endure.

In fact, a 2024 study co-authored by Innocence Project Board Member Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt showed that art, specifically narrative film, can increase empathetic understanding of formerly incarcerated people. In the study, participants’ thoughts regarding criminal justice reform were recorded both before and after they watched Just Mercy, a film based on Walter McMillian, who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death in Alabama before his exoneration by attorney Bryan Stevenson. After watching the film, participants more accurately inferred the emotions of storytellers labeled “formerly incarcerated” and showed significantly increased support for criminal justice reform, including opposition to the death penalty.

That belief in the ability of art to change attitudes has been central to Mr. Hicks’ work. Throughout the years, he wrote 12 plays and numerous poems that often touched on a prison population that he felt was getting younger and “more aggressive.” After his exoneration in 2020, Mr. Hicks created S.T.E.P.U.P., a nonprofit organization focused on helping children of all ages with conflict-resolution skills. His 2023 short film, STEPUP to help curb Gun Violence, encourages youth to choose alternatives to gun violence.

“I hope to teach these young men and women critical thinking through art,” he said.

Laurie Moran, an activist who has devoted herself to advancing justice through her volunteering and work with the non-profit For the People, became friends with Mr. Hicks through her advocacy work. She believes that his work does not only shed light on gun violence but also helps humanize those who become ensnared in the criminal legal system. 

“Termaine’s movies give deeper insight. They allow us to view the situations in full, helping us all to understand the circumstances and people behind the headlines. From there, we can figure out how to help prevent these incidents before they occur,” she said.

As a conceptual artist, Mr. Roland has taken a different approach than Mr. Hicks — he likes to provide his audiences with a frame of reference to connect with his story. 

“I leave breadcrumbs in my art, leaving [people] with enough context to grasp my story without being overwhelmed or too specific that they can’t relate to it,” he said.  

Innocence Project Research Manager Vanessa Meterko, who helped organize the Wrongful Conviction Day event, said Mr. Hicks’ and Mr. Roland’s work helped her see their experiences in a more nuanced and intimate way even after years of working alongside wrongly convicted people. 

“Hearing about the different ways in which Sherrill and Termaine engaged with art while wrongfully imprisoned, as well as the projects they’ve created since then, was so moving,” said Ms. Meterko. “Their work is a testament to the power of artistic expression to heal and connect.”