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Amplifying awareness to impact social equity, justice, and opportunity.
Amplifying awareness to impact social equity, justice, and opportunity.
Watch The Sing Sing Chronicles Official Trailer!
Watch A24's Sing Sing Official Trailer!
For 27 long years, a New York City man fought to prove his innocence after he was sent to prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez's fight for justice was helped by NBC News journalist Dan Slepian who was determined to find the truth. NBC’s Lester Holt reports in this week’s Sunday Spotlight.
Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez spent nearly 24 years in prison for the murder of a retired New York City police officer -- a murder he did not commit. On Monday, a judge in Manhattan exonerated Velazquez of the 1998 murder.
After spending 23 years in prison, Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez was formally exonerated of the murder of a retired NYPD detective in 1998.
By Author Dan Slepian
JJ specializes in storytelling, which stems from his passion to turn trauma into triumph and inspire others to convert obstacles into opportunities. He moderates panels, facilitates workshops, and gives talks designed to educate, motivate, and incite meaningful change. JJ's messages are heartfelt and filled with empathy.
JJ provides media platforms with valuable context and rare insight fueled by personal experiences that helped him accumulate a deep and diverse knowledge base of criminogenic behavior, mass incarceration, and wrongful convictions. Decades of unjust imprisonment have led to valuable lessons about life, humanity, and survival.
As a compassionate consultant committed to justice, public safety, and our youth, JJ provides clients with the information and tools required to understand the complexities of the criminal legal system and at-risk communities. JJ approaches his work ethically to ensure his knowledge and expertise create meaningful changes that impact communities for generations to come.
As an authentic actor, JJ is able to captivate audiences with his genuine emotional depth and sincerity. As shown in the A24 film, Sing Sing starring Colman Domingo, JJ seamlessly immerses himself into his supporting role, bringing it to life with an unwavering commitment to his true self. JJ's talent lies in his ability to make audiences feel, believe, and empathize with the stories he tells.
JJ is a male fashion model with a unique and inspiring story. Overcoming the challenges of a wrongful conviction, JJ has risen above adversity to become a powerful symbol of transformation and second chances. His striking presence in front of the camera serves as a testament to his resilience and determination. JJ embraces the power of reinvention and is a model for hope and redemption.
JJ is a dedicated community organizer who channels his experiences into positive change. With a heart full of empathy and commitment to social justice, JJ works tirelessly to uplift his communities. Inviting people inside prisons on culture tours, he stands as a beacon of hope for humanity bringing people together, amplifying their voices, and creating a brighter future for all.
Dan Slepian and JJ Velazquez joined Kristen Welker for a “Meet the Moment” conversation to detail their 20+ year effort to free Velazquez from a wrongful murder criminal conviction. It’s a decades-long journey to freedom that was captured in Slepian’s new book, “The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice.”
President Joe Biden apologizes to JJ "on behalf of all society" for his wrongful conviction.
The podcast 'Letters from Sing Sing' details JJ's case that began with a letter sent to NBC News Investigative Producer Dan Slepian.
NBC News investigative reporter Dan Slepian and JJ talk about 'Letters from Sing Sing' podcast from NBC News Studios.
Punishment alone is not enough to rehabilitate.
After being in prison for over 23 years released through executive clemency in 2021, JJ now works to reform the criminal legal system from the outside.
Lester Holt Reports 'Letters from Sing Sing': The 20-Year Search For The Truth
NBC Dateline documentary on the story of Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez
JJ is what the FAHERTY brand calls a TRUE LEGEND.
JJ fights his conviction with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maggie Freleng on PEOPLE TV.
JJ fights for his freedom in this short film by NowThis and Wrongful Conviction by Jason Flom.
At Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York, incarcerated men are "redefining what it means to repay a debt to society" with peer counseling organization, Voices From Within, led by Executive Director JJ Velazquez.
JJ explains the powerful connection between better choices and better lives.
The Never-Ending Impact of Incarceration
Prison visits are making America safer. Here's how.
JJ’s career as an activist for legal reform began in 1998, when he was wrongfully convicted as the shooter in the murder of a retired police officer. He spent almost 24 years in NYS maximum security prisons assisting, educating, and mentoring incarcerated people and their families.
While incarcerated, he earned two degrees in behavioral science and became a certified paralegal. He was considered a “one-man innocent project,“ helping other wrongfully convicted individuals obtain freedom. JJ was an elected liaison between the prison population and administration, while working to help others obtain their college degrees in his capacity as a program assistant at Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison. As a leading light at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, he organized a delegation of leaders, and implemented several positive programs including CHOICES, which has served hundreds of children impacted by crime and incarceration.
JJ now serves his community locally as the Co-founder and Executive Director of Voices from Within based in New York, and nationally as the Program Director at the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice.
JJ believes that everyone has the potential to achieve greatness. By tapping into their inner strengths and passions, individuals can overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams. With JJ's guidance, people are empowered to take action and live their best lives.
JJ’s mission is to expose the ever-present harm caused by the lack of opportunities in urban communities, mass incarceration, and wrongful convictions. His goal is to create opportunities and pave pathways for healthier and safer communities to thrive both inside and outside of prisons.
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