Voices of the Innocent: Dreams of Freedom
September 10, 2025
City Winery, Boston, MA
6 PM | Food & Drink
7 PM | Program
Business casual attire

* EVENT IS OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT! *

If you’re unable to join us in person at City Winery Boston, please join the Facebook livestream of the event at 6:55 p.m. EST.

Voices of the Innocent is the New England Innocence Project's signature storytelling event and fundraiser. Featuring the stories of those most impacted, Voices of the Innocent creates a unique opportunity to bring our community together in our fight against injustice. 

Help us raise $450,000 to free more people in the year ahead, take vital steps to prevent wrongful convictions through education and advocacy, and ensure that the Exoneree Network can support families rebuilding in freedom.

To learn more or become a sponsor, please contact Gina Christo at gina@newenglandinnocence.org.

Meet the Storytellers

Stephen Pina’s story is one of resilience and determination. Wrongfully convicted in 1996, he spent 28 years in prison before new evidence led to his release in 2022. Since then, he has been actively involved in community engagement, supporting those who have been wrongfully convicted and speaking at universities about the trauma of wrongful convictions. Pina’s advocacy extends to mentoring inner city youth through a non-profit organization, aiming to steer them away from the criminal legal system. Despite not yet being formally exonerated, he remains steadfast in his pursuit of justice, alongside his legal team at CPCS Innocence Program, driven by the desire to clear his name for the sake of his family and loved ones. His story serves as a testament to resilience and the ongoing fight against wrongful convictions.

Kenyatta Moon Sprinkle, a licensed Cosmetologist, Real Estate Salesperson, and Investor, is a woman of many roles. As the wife of Keyon Sprinkle, who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life in prison, she has shown unwavering support and commitment. Her role as a mother of 4 children and an entrepreneur is a testament to her dedication. She skillfully manages their household, oversees numerous investment properties, and compassionately cares for her mother. Her downtime is spent networking with other loved ones of wrongfully convicted individuals, working out, and valuing family time.

Raymond Gaines was wrongfully convicted and spent 46 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. While in prison, Raymond fought tirelessly to prove his innocence, filing countless appeals and writing letters to anyone who would listen.  With the help of attorney Merritt Schnipper, on April 28, 2021, Raymond was released from M.C.I. Norfolk on a stay of execution of a natural life sentence. After nearly five decades behind the wall, he was released to a world that had changed beyond recognition. Despite the bitterness of losing so much of his life to wrongful imprisonment, Raymond refused to dwell on the past. Instead, he focused on rebuilding his life and becoming an advocate for criminal justice reform, using his own experience to shine a light on the flaws and injustices of the legal system. Through his resilience and determination, Raymond has become a symbol of hope and inspiration for countless others who have suffered similar injustices, including the innocent, wrongfully convicted, over-sentenced, and the medically frail. He finds healing in his role as Peer Advocate for the Exoneree Network, where he researches and cultivates resources for EN Members, helping them adjust and rebuild after suffering the trauma of long-term incarceration.

2025 Voices of the Innocent Honoree

This year, we celebrate a man whose relentless support of a wrongfully convicted woman made her dreams of freedom come true and whose support of the New England Innocence Project for nearly a decade has helped us realize the dreams of so many others fighting for freedom. It is our distinct honor to present the 2025 ARC OF JUSTICE award to:

Al Kaneb

Al Kaneb is a quiet leader, creating lasting impact and impressions without seeking (and indeed, rejecting) recognition for his many contributions. His leadership in business is known, but his leadership in supporting individuals and community organizations, both local and international, is often unseen except to those of us who witness it first-hand.

When Al learned about Nancy Wagner, a woman wrongfully convicted of murder in Massachusetts and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, Al became a fierce advocate for her freedom. His relentless support of Nancy, both during and after her thirty years of incarceration, has made a profound impact on her. Al has also been instrumental in ensuring the strength and stability of the New England Innocence Project, becoming a trusted advisor in some of the most difficult times and helping NEIP grow to what it is today.

Al is beloved and revered by his four adult children, 17 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He has touched the lives of so many he knows, as well as many he does not, across New England and the world. Through his persistent and generous spirit, Al continues to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.

Changemakers

About the New England Innocence Project
We free innocent people from prison, support families impacted by incarceration, and
fight to end the oppressive harms of the criminal legal system throughout New England.