Sing Sing actor Jon-Adrian JJ Velazquez has been exonerated after he spent nearly 24 years wrongfully imprisoned for murder.
He was convicted in 1999 for the fatal shooting of retired police officer Albert Ward during a robbery at his Harlem gambling parlor.
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As per a report by Entertainment Weekly, in 2022, the Post-Conviction Justice Unit launched a reinvestigation of the case, revealing that Velazquez’s DNA was not present in the DNA mixture found on the betting slip handled by the shooter.
On September 30, 2024 Manhattan Judge Abraham Clott, citing the new DNA findings, overturned his second-degree murder conviction. Velazquez wore a baseball cap outside the courthouse with the words "End of an error" as he addressed the media. He emphasized how easily individuals could be imprisoned based on weak, warning of the injustices that occurred under lack of attention.
“We should not have a system where it’s so much easier to imprison the poor than it is to free the innocent,” JJ Velazquez said.
He pointed out that the moment was not a cause for celebration, but rather a condemnation of the flawed system. In October 2022, JJ Velazquez met with President Joe Biden, who offered an apology for his wrongful conviction.
The actor is also a co-founder of Voices From Within, an educational program aimed at tackling the issues of crime and incarceration by amplifying the voices of incarcerated individuals. He expressed grief over being unable to be an active member of his children’s lives.
JJ Velazquez’s Sing Sing is a prison drama based on real-life incidents
Velazquez appeared alongside Colman Domingo in the A24 prison drama which was shot at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility. It centered on a group of incarcerated men who discovered a sense of purpose through participating in theater productions. The cast members included formerly incarcerated actors.
According to Variety, less than a year after his release from Sing Sing prison, JJ Velazquez began filming Sing Sing, describing it as one of the most important things he ever did. The film, based on a true story, follows the character of John “Divine G” Whitfield, a man wrongfully imprisoned at Sing Sing.
During his time at the Correctional Facility, JJ Velazquez earned two degrees, became a certified paralegal assisting others who were wrongfully convicted, and took on roles as a mentor and educator to fellow inmates. The production embraced a community-based financial model, ensuring that every cast and crew member received equal pay and shared in the film's success.
Producers Kwedar, Monique Walton, and Clint Bentley noted that Velazquez’s exoneration marked another significant milestone in his remarkable journey. They expressed confidence that he would use this moment to continue advocating for others, particularly those still incarcerated.
Alongside his activism, JJ Velazquez expressed a desire to pursue more acting opportunities. He shared his excitement about being able to earn a living while enjoying his work and being surrounded by supportive individuals. He reflected on how he was now fulfilling the passion he had always envisioned during his time in prison.
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