Advocates, attorneys and exonerees gathered recently at Cleveland State University’s College of Law to honor Isaiah Andrews, who spent 45 years wrongfully imprisoned and was exonerated in 2020 with help from the Ohio Innocence Project.
Those who knew Andrews — including lawyers who helped free him and other formerly incarcerated men — shared stories at an event on June 10 of his friendship and his lasting impact on Cleveland and beyond. Andrews died of cancer at 83 in 2022.
Alfred Cleveland, who developed a deep friendship with Andrews while they were incarcerated at Richland Correctional Institution, said funds from Andrews’ wrongful conviction settlement are now being used to support the community and exonerees. The state of Ohio awarded $3 million to Andrews’ estate in late 2023.
Cleveland, co-founder of Voices of Injustice, wrote, directed and produced the play “The Lynched Among Us,” which tells stories of exonerees and wrongful convictions. A donation from Andrews’ estate helped Cleveland pay actors and purchase clothes and props. The play debuted at CSU in October.
“It’s all because of his struggle and his suffering throughout all that time that he was compensated. And now, we can do the play. This is all because of him,” Cleveland said. “We wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t gotten that donation.”
Cleveland said he feels closest to Andrews when working on the play, which is inspired by Andrews’ legacy.
CSU’s Terry Gilbert Wrongful Conviction Clinic also received a donation from Friedman, Gilbert + Gerhardstein, the firm that represented Andrews. It announced the creation of the “Isaiah Andrews — FG+G Fellowship,” an honorary designation for law students who continue working on wrongful conviction cases after their coursework ends.
“We’re really thankful for the donation. It is impactful that it is honoring him, and it helps us to continue to assist people in Isaiah’s position,” said Lisa Greig, the clinic’s director. “This way, we will have, in perpetuity, hundreds of students who will have that title and he will be remembered that way.”
(Editor’s note:Cleveland yesterday reached a settlement in a civil suit brought by the estate of Andrews that will see the city pay $7.9 million in damages.)
This article was first published by The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for their newsletters, and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook.
This article appears in Cleveland SCENE 06/19/25 Burger Week.