Wrongly Convicted Man Jeffrey Deskovic Awarded Graduate Degree
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - A New York man who spent 16 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit has received a master's degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Jeffrey Deskovic, who was freed in 2006, received his diploma at a graduation ceremony on Tuesday.
Deskovic won $8.3 million for his wrongful imprisonment from New York State and Westchester County. He used some of the money to start the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice to help other innocent people get out of prison.
"This is an outward manifestation of my desire to make a difference, to make the 16 years I served in prison mean something," Deskovic said when he announced the launch of his foundation in March of last year. "What happened to me, it can happen to anybody."
LINK: Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice
Deskovic was a teenager when he was charged with the 1990 killing of Angela Correa, a classmate at Peekskill High School. He was released after DNA linked the 1989 killing to another man.
He's been active in criminal justice reform and anti-death penalty movements since his release.
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