CLEVELAND — Dozens of people took to the steps of the Cuyahoga County Justice Center Wednesday to bring awareness to the issue of wrongful convictions.
The rally coincided with International Wrongful Conviction Day.
Organizers called it a chance to bring awareness to and spotlight the stories of those locked up for crimes they did not commit.
Exonerees, their families, attorneys, students and supporters gathered outside what one organizer called the "Injustice Center."
She called Cuyahoga County the "epicenter" of wrongful convictions and said it's an issue we all pay for.
"You people that are at home, sitting on your couch are the ones footing the bill for these compensations," said Jeanna Kenney, President of Ensuring Parole for Incarcerated Citizens. "It's not coming from the police that did it. It's not coming from the prosecutors that did it or even the judges. So it's very much more an everybody problem."
According to the National Registry of Exonerations, since 1994, 41 people convicted in Cuyahoga County have later been cleared of crimes.
