Protess Wins Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship

David Protess, a professor at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in Chicago, has been awarded the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship. Protess and his investigative journalism students exposed miscarriages of justice in a number of high-profile cases in Illinois, including the case of Anthony Porter, who was only 48 hours away from his execution until students found evidence of his innocence. Porter's case has often been cited by former Illinois Governor George Ryan, whose questions about innocence and systemic fairness led him to impose a moratorium on executions in Illinois shortly after Porter's exoneration. Protess said he will use a portion of the $100,000 prize to expand his investigations to other states and to establish a project to help ease the transition of exonerated inmates to daily life outside prison. When asked about his work, Protess noted, "Some people think it's inspiring. I think it's dismaying. Seniors in college should not be the last line of defense against an innocent person being executed." (Bob Herbert, New York Times, ). To date, 111 people have been exonerated from America's death rows.