catapult magazine

Waiting for Madison

Part 7 of 12

by Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma

Porter was released in 1999 after being proven innocent when the man who actually committed the crime he was convicted of confessed. He was so close to death that his funeral was already being arranged. But after 17 years in prison, Porter has had a difficult time creating a stable life for himself and his family. “Here’s a man who has been incarcerated on Death Row and now he’s free,” said Maurice Perkins of the Inner City Youth Foundation (Chicago Tribune, 1/13/03). “Nobody had provided him with any life management skills, behavior skills, reintegration skills?. He didn’t have anybody to actually help him keep his feet planted.”

In his interview, Porter is sure to mention his commitment to speak out against the death penalty until the day he dies. He also mentions that no one who is guilty of creating false allegations has been held accountable.

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