How to Help

A few hours ago, as I was trying to think about what to write to introduce this section to you, then my neighbor knocked on the wall between our cells and told me to go to the back, where there’s a spot we can talk to each other without having to yell over the run. We got to talk to talking and ended up having a good conversation about pen-pals and how important they are to guys locked up, especially someone trying to fight for his life. I wish there was a “how to” book on how to attract pen-pals and raise support for someone in my situation, because I’ve been trying for close to four years and have had a very little luck. That’s what our conversation come up with, that it takes luck, and a good message… It’s taken me a long time, I finally found one friend willing to help me get my message out for me. That would envolved sitting down and explaining to my friend the best I could how and why I was sent to death row, despite being innocent of my murder. I’m sure you’ve heard the same sad story many times, you may have even become “immune” to that argument, but I ask you.. NO I beg you, to consider the facts I’ve given to you. They can all be CONFIRMED. My message is simple: I AM INNOCENT AND TO KEEP FROM BEING MURDERED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS, I NEED YOUR HELP. This is where I feel help comes into play I’ve seen guys on the Row barely 6 months get a pen-pal willing to put fourth huge efforts to help their new friend and fight his case while other guys here try for years to find just one good friend willing to dedicate a little time to helping them. I’m hoping now is the time “ladyluck” will shine her light on me. I’ve heard so many people saying “they don’t know how to help” , or “are too busy to help”… Unfortunatly too many people think that to help someone like me prove my innocence they have to spend hours and hours doing something or be rich to give large amounts of financial support,  But this is NOT true, you want to know how you can help me ?

WAYS TO HELP ELIJAH

1: write to Elijah :

Elijah Joubert 999492
Polunsky Unit
3872 F.M. 350 South
Livingston,
Texas 77351
USA


2: Put a link on your homepage – spread my message


3: Recruit Help

Again, it would take only a few minutes of your time to send email to the organisations i’ve listed below and ask them to help me in my fight to prove my innocence. The more requests these organisations get asking them to become involved more likely it is they will, they are the only organisations i have contact informations for, if you know of others please contact them also.

Center on wrongful convictions
WEBSITE
E mail : rwarden@law.northwestern.edu

University of Houston, innocence network
WEBSITE
Email : innocence@central.uh.edu

Innocence project at the university of Texas
Email : jficaro@mail.utexas.edu
Contact : James Figaro


Newspapers : Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, New York Times, Houston press

Magazines : Texas Monthly, website : www.texasmonthly.com

4: Give Financial help / donations

Going through a state or Federal appeals process is expensive, and is if a person gets lucky and wins a new trial. That’s money… There is the lawyers fee, then investigators, exerts witnesses, tests to be Run, so many other things… Sometimesthe court will grant you money for some of them, but what about the others ? for this many guys set up defense founds to accept donations until they are needed. I’ve been trying to do this, but so far everytime i get close to getting it done something goes wrong and i'm set back. So right now i do not have a DEFENSE FUND, or even a bank account where donations can be sent directly, but i am hoping to have my support found set up soon with proper information and addresses where if you want to help me financially, you can send donations. Everything helps, it could be a 1$ or 5$ donation. Too many think to help someone in my position they need to donate more, but if you can give me like 1 dollar a day, or collect the loose change from your pocket every night, for a month, this all adds up and will help. Soon as the support fund account is up and running, i will update this information. These 4 are only a few of the ways you could help. There is so many more ways like if you go to church, or if you a part of a prayer group ? you could discuss my situation with others in your congregation ? together you could come up with ideas, you can speak out as a group in support of me getting a new trial. Okay maybe you dont go to church , the same can be done by members of any group, car clubs, student clubs, or computer club, a fraternity or a soronity, the list goes on. What i have learned is by myself, i can not win this fight, but with your help and the help of others, i have a chance to prove my innocence and and be united with my daughter, go home to my family and once again have a life. PLEASE IF YOU BELIEVE I WAS WRONGFULLY CONVICTED, I NEED YOUR HELP.

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OTHER WAYS TO HELP ELIJAH

By writing to the following

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1. Centurion Ministries
www.centurionministries.org

Send a 4-page (or less) letter, outlining the facts of the case:
- What you were convicted of?
- Brief description of the crime
- Why were you arrested and taken to trial?
- What evidence was used to convict you?
- What evidence is there that point to your innocence?

Send the letter to:
Case Development Manager
Centurion Ministries, Inc.
221 Witherspoon Street
Princeton, NJ 08542

Response guaranteed in 8-10 weeks. They accept letters from inmates only.

They accept cases nationwide.
_______________________________________________

2. The Exoneration Project
www.exonerationproject.org

Fill the Exoneration Project questionnaire and mail it to them to Chicago:
The Exoneration Project
312 N. May St., Ste. 100
Chicago, Illinois 60607

Link to the questionnaire:

http://media.wix.com/ugd//01464e_38804709c9c29cdaec128653008e39de.pdf

_______________________________________________

3. Center on Wrongful Convictions
www.law.northwestern.edu/cwc/

Accepts cases with:
- A Claim of Actual Innocence: it’s restricted to handling only cases of persons who assert that they were in no way involved in the crimes for which they were convicted.
- For DNA cases: A claim of innocence which is supported by testable biological evidence.
- For non-DNA cases: A Minimum of 10 Years Remaining on a Prison Sentence

Send a letter with details of the case to:
Center on Wrongful Convictions
Northwestern University School of Law
357 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611

_______________________________________________

4. Innocence International
http://www.rubinthehurricanecarter.com/innocence.html

Send an email about the case to both email addresses:
rubin.carter008@sympatico.ca and kenklonsky@shaw.ca

_______________________________________________

5. Innocence Project of Texas
www.ipoftexas.org

1511 Texas Avenue
Lubbock, TX 79409

Phone: 806-744-6525
Fax: (8060 744-6480
Email: info@ipoftexas.org

_______________________________________________

6. Texas Center for Actual Innocence
University of Texas School of Law
http://www.utexas.edu/law/clinics/innocence/tcai/

A letter must be sent by inmate only to:
Texas Center for Actual Innocence
The University of Texas School of Law
727 E. Dean Keeton St.
Austin, TX 78705

- Cases are not accepted by telephone or e-mail. A written request from the inmate must be sent to the Texas Center for Actual Innocence; it cannot come from family or friends.
- At this time, TCAI is not accepting cases involving DWIs, drug offenses, or federal offenses.
- Due to limited resources, TCAI cannot accept cases from inmates on parole or probation, or offenders who have already served their sentence.
- TCAI can also only accept cases from inmates in Texas.

_______________________________________________

7. Texas Innocence Network
University of Houston Law School

100 Law Center
Houston, TX 77204-6060
Phone: 713-743-7552
Cases Accepted:
- actual innocence
- not restricted to DNA cases

____________________________________________

8. Thurgood Marshall School of Law Innocence Project

http://www.houstonpbs.org/assets/reusable-content/pdfs/law-innocence-project.pdf

Contact the Thurgood Marshall School of Law Innocence Project by:
- calling 713.313.1139 and asking for the Center for Criminal Justice Associate Director OR
- make a formal request for assistance by completing a TPIQ (Texas Prisoner Innocence Questionnaire) and mailing it to the:
Thurgood Marshall School of Law Innocence Project
Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy, Inc.
Texas Southern University
3100 Cleburne St.
Houston, Texas 77004

Either the inmate or friends of the inmate can contact the organization.
They do not handle direct appeals of criminal convictions
They only handle claims of actual innocence typically involving DNA evidence testing, mistaken identification, or that a crime never actually occurred.
They do not challenge problems with the original trial but rather we look for new evidence to prove that the incarcerated person actually did not commit the crime.

_______________________________________________

9. Wesleyan Innocence Project
Texas Wesleyan Univesity School of Law
http://www.law.txwes.edu/CurrentStudents/StudentOrganizations/InnocenceProject/tabid/245/Default.aspx

To submit a case for “potential” investigation, please write a letter to WIP and provide the following details:
- Full Name
- Phone Number
- Criminal Charge
- County of Prosecution
- Cause Number(s)
- Short summary of what happened
- Why the individual believes that he/she is “actually innocent.”

Mail this letter to:
Wesleyan Innocence Project
Texas Wesleyan School of Law
1515 Commerce St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102

Accepts cases of “actual innocence”
Does not provide legal representation, only investigates claims of “actual innocence”
WIP is a fully student-run organization that accepts cases through their intake system.