Projects
Executive Bio
Short Bio
Stephen Carrington is a wrongful-conviction survivor who spent 23 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. After clearing his name, he founded The FREE Project, a national initiative documenting police misconduct patterns, uncovering overlooked evidence, and helping other survivors navigate systems designed to silence them.
Long Bio
Stephen Carrington is a survivor of wrongful conviction whose case was overturned in 2024 after more than two decades of imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. His conviction was tied to a flawed photo array, ignored hospital alibi evidence, and investigative shortcuts that kept him incarcerated for 23 years.
After winning his freedom, Stephen dedicated himself to exposing these systemic failures. He founded The FREE Project, a national platform mapping patterns of misconduct, connecting survivors with attorneys and journalists, and supporting individuals currently fighting to clear their names.
Stephen now works with investigators, media, and legal advocates to document misconduct, find overlooked victims, and push for accountability across jurisdictions.
Case Summary
Stephen Carrington’s 1995 conviction for robbery and homicide was vacated in 2024 after evidence revealed that the police photo array used to identify him contained another individual’s photograph—his younger brother’s—leading to a misidentification. His hospital alibi was dismissed, and investigative leads were ignored. The Brooklyn Conviction Review Bureau later confirmed these failures and vacated the conviction after Stephen served 23 years in prison.
The FREE Project is a national initiative exposing patterns of police misconduct, documenting wrongful convictions, connecting survivors with legal and media allies, and helping families navigate the system. The project identifies linked cases, provides plain-language resources, tracks investigative patterns, and supports those seeking justice.
Key Facts & Statistics
Use these as bullet points on the media kit page.
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Year of original arrest: 1995
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Age at arrest: 19
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Time incarcerated: 23 years
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Evidence failures: flawed photo array, ignored alibi, overlooked alternative suspect
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Date conviction vacated: May 16, 2024
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Reviewing agency: Brooklyn Conviction Review Bureau
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Core issue: eyewitness misidentification
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National estimate: 70% of wrongful convictions involve faulty IDs
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Number of potential linked cases under review: growing list