CM was the first organization in the world dedicated to the
vindication of the wrongfully convicted. Since 1980 CM has freed
53 men and women sentenced life or death. These innocent
victims of our justice system have served 1083 years for the
crimes of others. Working predominantly on investigative non-
DNA cases, CM is the only hope of freedom for many. CM
received 1635 new requests for help in 2013 and is currently developing 174 cases of innocence.
JUSTICE?
HOPE.For 27 years Mia visited Mark every Tuesday
while he was in prison for a crime he did not
commit.
“Every time I left we would embrace and our
hands would drift apart,” said Mia.
FREEDOM?Nick O’Connell was 4 years old
when his father went to prison.
Frank got his freedom back
when Nick was 32.
There was no little league, no teaching your
boy how to shave and no high school
graduation.
IMAGINE....being innocent in a maximum security prison.
...being locked away from your loved ones.
...having no choices regarding the food you eat.
...having no one to help you prove your innocence.
...losing the prime years of your life.
David Bryant was arrested when he was 17 years
old. CM freed him 37 years later at age 54. He
never had a job, never drove a car, never married
and he has no living family. CM directors Kate
Germond and Jim McCloskey took David into their
own homes for 12 weeks.
CM’s support does not end on the courthouse
steps. They seek employment, housing and
reinforce the general well being
of their freed clients.
FAMILY.
HELP. CM is currently working for 21 innocent people.
In 1999, CM committed to Richard LaPointe’s
case. Richard suffers from Dandy Walker Syndrome
which affects movement, coordination, intellect and
other neurological functions. We are very close to a
court decision and are hoping to free Richard this
year.
Centurion Ministries, Inc. (CM) was founded in 1983 in
Princeton, NJ by Jim McCloskey. McCloskey left a successful
business career to go to seminary school where, as part of his
curriculum, he chose to work with the inmates at Trenton State
Prison. There he met Jorge De Los Santos, an innocent man
serving a life sentence. McCloskey took a leave of absence
from the seminary, used his personal savings to investigate the
case and hire a lawyer. In three years he freed
De Los Santos. Although Centurion Ministries blossomed from
a spiritual calling, it has no religious affiliation.
CM’s approach is unique. They are the last hope for many who
have been falsely convicted. They work on the cold cases
others have left far behind. Their clients must be indigent from
years of exhausted appeals and lost funds. CM bears all costs
of their work and is a 501 (c) 3 organization.