DENTON, Texas — Since his release from wrongful imprisonment, Christopher Scott has spent every moment raising awareness about this problem in the judicial system.
He founded House of Renewed Hope, and organization that works to free innocent people in prison.
On Oct. 2, National Wrongful Conviction Day, Scott's organization joined with the University of North Texas in Denton's Department of Criminal Justice to host a Wrongful Conviction Day event. It honored those who have been wrongfully convicted and spread awareness of their stories.
The state of Texas leads the country in exonerations with 363 people exonerated in the last 30 years, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.
Since 2009, Texas has paid more than $100 million as compensation to exonerees. Of that number, $54 million went to exonerees in Dallas County.
Scott is one of the individuals from Dallas County who was found innocent after he spent 13 years in prison. In 1997, he was charged and convicted of capital murder.
It started with a vague description of a suspect, Scott remembers.
"Two African American men, one tall, one short, dark complexion with a low haircut," Scott said. "You're describing just about every African American man walking the street."
From the National Registry of Exonerations, more than half of those exonerated in the United States are Black. Scott said he realized the moment he sat down in the courtroom that he wouldn't get a fair trial.
"I had an all White jury," he said. "My judge was White. My prosecutor was White. And my attorney was White," he said.
After minutes of deliberation, Scott was sentenced to life in prison.
In 2008, the Dallas County District Attorney's Office took another look at his case. Another man ultimately confessed to the murder.
On Oct. 21, 2009, Scott was released from prison and his charges were dismissed. He was declared innocent.
At the recent event, Scott led and moderated the panels of judges, attorneys, investigators and exonerees.
"We have completely and totally failed some individuals at the expense of their life and their liberty, sometimes for decades," Dallas County Judge Brandon Birmingham said.
Although they don't get back the years they lost in prison, Dallas County Judge Stephanie Huff said, "They're finally able to be freed and someone is listening to them and heard them. And they are able to live their life now."
Over his last 15 years as a free man, Scott brings hope to those who still have not been cleared of crimes they did not commit.
"In prison, what else do you have besides hope and faith?"