“Ricky Jackson spent 39 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit, the longest anyone who has been exonerated has served in the United States.”

Mr. Jackson and 14 other people detailed in this article spent a total of 350 years in prison before they were exonerated. The National Registry of Exonerations lists 1,541 people who have been exonerated in the USA since 1989. Some of these stories, including that of Ricky Jackson, are heartbreaking.

It makes one wonder how many have died behind bars without getting the chance to be freed or to clear their names. We will never know!

Read the entire article on BuzzFeed

Watch the NBC National News report of Ricky Jackson’s story here [ FYI – These men were imprisoned during President Gerald Ford’s administration and during the first year for Saturday Night Live ]