OVERCOMING THE ODDS An Advocate For Justice | Stories

Convicted of a crime that he did not commit and sentenced to 28 years in a maximum-security prison Jarrett Adams served nearly 10 years before being exonerated. Adams used the injustice he endured as inspiration to become an advocate and attorney for the underserved. Lidia meets with Jarret virtually to cook one of her favorite pasta recipes, Bucatini with pancetta, tomatoes and onions.

Over Zoom, Lidia guides Jarrett through the preparation of Bucatini with Pancetta, Tomato, and Onion.

Convicted of a crime that he did not commit, and sentenced to 28 years in a maximum-security prison, Jarrett Adams served nearly 10 years before being exonerated. Jarrett used the injustice he endured as inspiration to become an advocate and attorney for the underserved. He is co-founder of Life After Justice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing wrongful convictions and building an ecosystem of support and empowerment for exonerees’ as they rebuild their lives.

Lidia joins him virtually in his kitchen in Los Angeles, CA, and they cook Bucatini with Pancetta, Tomato, and Onion.

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View photos of Lidia's virtual visit with Jarrett Adams

Jarrett learned how to cook from his grandmother while living on the southside of Chicago. He credits cooking for staying off the street. As a lawyer helping exonerate wrongfully convicted people - and sometimes visiting the same prison in which he himself was locked up - he regularly relives his traumas. Cooking has been an important way to release stress, and the kitchen is his "happy place." He makes breakfast and dinner for his wife, whom he met in law school, every day. Spaghetti is Joi’s favorite dish that Jarrett makes, and she likes to joke that his cooking is the reason she married him.

In addition to cooking, going to therapy was an important part of Jarrett’s emotional recovery after being released from prison. Although he didn’t want to go to therapy, his mom and aunt were persistent, and he now sees going to therapy as the best decision he has ever made.

Jarrett is also an author. His memoir Redeeming Justice was published in September of 2021. In it, Jarrett shares a story of hope and full-circle redemption. He draws on his wrongful conviction case and exoneration and the cases of his clients to show the racist tactics used to convict young men of color, the unique challenges facing exonerees once released, and how the lack of equal representation in our courts is a failure not only of empathy but of our collective ability to uncover the truth.