Resurrection After Exoneration 2.0 (RAE 2.0) created the John Thompson Legacy Center (JTLC) to bring together those who loved and learned from John Thompson, a leader who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death row. Under the leadership of Mr. Thompson’s widow, Ms. Laverne, RAE 2.0 is a successor non-profit to Resurrection After Exoneration, an organization founded by John Thompson (JT) that provided direct services and advocated for prosecutorial reforms. Following JT’s untimely death, RAE 2.0 mobilized to create a living legacy that reflected JT’s passions for accountability, reform, safety and justice. The JTLC is a space to support those most impacted by the criminal punishment system and help them to thrive. Reborn in the wake of Hurricane Ida, the JTLC has become a community resource for safety, healing, and justice. Located in the 7th Ward, we have supported community preparedness, hosting solar powered generators, a plant medicine apothecary, community education events and art installations in our first few months. We are also working on creating archives of the work of John Thompson and others whose legacies and teachings are integral to understanding and building a way forward that is fair and just.

John Thompson, (JT) spent 18-years wrongly incarcerated, including 14-years on death row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola before he was exonerated of all charges in 2003. He won a civil lawsuit against the State of Louisiana, specifically the racist administration led by then-District Attorney Harry Connick Sr. for $20 million dollars, which was eventually overturned by the US Supreme Court. He went on to create Resurrection After Exoneration (RAE) at 1212 St Bernard Avenue. What began as an organization to support people like him returning home grew into an organization that combined the insights of formerly incarcerated people with advocacy for reform and true justice.

The JTLC is built on the unceded territory of the Choctaw, Chitimacha and Houma people. We are transforming this building into a living legacy to his vision and passion. The building will host art installations and archives of the work of JT and others whose teachings are integral to redefining community, safety & justice. The JTLC will also include a plant-powered approach to abolition by housing The Abolitionist’s Apothecary, Greenhouse & Sanctuary.  We also host a multi-use space which functions to bring people together for services targeted to healing that community such as expungement clinics, post incarceration medical and addiction services, and job skills development. The space serves as a resources to families torn apart by incarceration by, for example, providing kiosk access for families to communicate with loved ones, and virtual spaces to participate in parole hearings. The JTLC is a cultural initiative designed by exonerees, attorneys and organizers. Together we host projects exploring the ways that plants teach us about abolition and the multitude of ways the natural world can provide the roadmap to collective liberation.