Stanley Howard is a Chicago police torture survivor who spent 39 years in prison – 16 of them on death row in Illinois for crimes he did not commit. He is a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

While incarcerated, he received a G.E.D., Legal Assistant/Paralegal Diploma, Commercial Custodian and three Construction Certificates. He taught himself criminal law, organized and instructed law classes and assisted many prisoners with their legal filings, founded The Death Row 10 Campaign (1998) with other Chicago Police torture survivors which led to former Governor George Ryan pardoning four members of the Death Row 10 and a blanket commutation of all Illinois death sentences (2003), and Illinois’ death penalty being abolished in 2011.

Stanley formed Prisoners Against the War (2003) while in Stateville Correctional Center which led to letters of support being sent to U.S. Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan – he wanted to show that prisoners could support the Troops and still be against the war.

He also wrote many published op-eds over the years, a Play, and authored the celebrated book: Tortured By Blue: The Chicago Police Torture Story (2019).

Stanley was released from prison in November 2023. He is currently working at Uptown People’s Law Center as a Paralegal/Prisoner Rights Advocate, served as an Ambassador for the Illinois Prison Project, works with the Chicago Torture Justice Memorial Foundation, and is seeking a bachelor degree on Organizational Leadership and Change at College Unbound.

The former jailhouse lawyer and social justice advocate is extremely passionate about ending capital punishment, life without parole, solitary confinement, tearing down prison walls, and being a voice for those trapped.