Let's Welcome Ronnie Long Home!
I am raising money for my husband, Ronnie Long.
Ronnie Long was wrongfully imprisoned by the State of North Carolina from May 10, 1976 until August 27, 2020. 44 years or 16,180 days to be exact. He was freed on my birthday!
He was just 20 years old when he was taken into custody. He had his 21st birthday while he was in jail awaiting trial. He was exonerated just 2 weeks before his 65th birthday. Ronnie lost his grandmother, father, 2 of his 3 sisters & his mother during his Wrongful imprisonment.
Ronnie was granted a pardon of innocence on December 17, 2020, from NC Governor Roy Cooper. Ronnie received the $750,000 from the pardon of innocence in April 2021, and he is extremely grateful for having received it knowing that many others are still awaiting a pardon. The pardon money is NOT compensation for his wrongful imprisonment. It is to help him get back on his feet after 44 years of wrongful imprisonment.
*Although Ronnie Long is grateful he received the $750,000 in compensation from the State of NC, the amount is wholly inadequate to compensate him after taking away more than 44 years of his liberty. He was in a cage when both his parents died; (his mother passed just 6 weeks before he was freed & was asking "is Ronnie home?"), when his family had birthdays, graduations, weddings, etc. He lost EVERYTHING for those 44 years, and certainly he deserves more than he has received from the pardon of innocence compensation.
"The NC legislature established a cap of $750,000 several years ago to compensate men and women who were wrongfully incarcerated. Since that time, at least two men have been exonerated after more than 40 years of incarceration, which highlights the inadequacy of the compensation statute and that cap. It's time to revisit this amount since we are learning the magnitude of the harm caused by wrongful convictions in North Carolina. It's also time to revisit the compensation statute as a whole, as the Governor should not have full authority over who does and does not receive compensation. A review process that is not political should be established so all men and women who have been wrongly convicted has a fair chance at compensation." ~Jamie Lau
We would like to see the law changed for those who are still awaiting a pardon.
Ronnie will explore whatever remedies are available for holding those responsible for his wrongful incarceration accountable, and to ensure that he is financially secure in the future. Unlike YOU and ME, he lost his working years to incarceration and has no savings, he has no SSI, no 401K. He entered prison healthy at the age of 20 and left broken just before turning 65. He had a hernia when he was freed that the prison declined to treat for over 2 years! His ongoing financial security is the least he deserves after so much was taken over those 44 years. Please keep in mind that compensation is not guaranteed and would take years to receive IF awarded.
Come on #TeamRonnieLong, let's get Ronnie set up to enjoy his life as a free man!
**Others methods to donate:
CashApp: $FreeRonnieLong
Send a check payable to Ronnie Long.
Send to:
Ronnie Long C/O Jamie Lau
Box 90360
210 Science Dr
Durham, NC 27708
#FreeRonnieLong
#TeamRonnieLong
**This fundraiser was created with Ronnie Long's permission. This is the only fundraiser for Ronnie Long. All funds go directly to Ronnie's own bank account that only he has access to.
