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United States Raymond Santana has transitioned from a wrongful conviction victim to a criminal justice advocate, entrepreneur, and a candidate for the New York City Council, consistently working towards reform and community support.
Raymond Santana works closely with The Innocence Project, an organization dedicated to exonerating the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system. He advocates for criminal justice reform, particularly concerning false confessions and the vulnerability of juveniles during police interrogations. A portion of the proceeds from his clothing company, Park Madison NYC, is donated to the Innocence Project.
Raymond Santana launched his clothing line, Park Madison NYC, named after his childhood neighborhood in Harlem (111th Street between Park and Madison Avenues). The brand signifies his deep connection to his community and his journey. A portion of the company's proceeds is dedicated to supporting the Innocence Project.
Raymond Santana works closely with the New York City Justice League. This partnership highlights his ongoing commitment to advocating for criminal justice reform and addressing systemic issues within the legal system.
Raymond Santana is a candidate for the New York City Council's 8th District. His potential campaign centers around supporting the community where he was raised, addressing issues such as affordable housing, infrastructure, public transit, and criminal justice reform. This represents his commitment to direct public service and policy change.
Raymond Santana endured five years of wrongful imprisonment for a crime he did not commit, stemming from the Central Park jogger case in 1989. At the age of 14, he was one of five teenagers coerced into confessing to the brutal attack and rape of a jogger in Central Park. His conviction, along with those of Yusef Salaam, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, and Korey Wise, was overturned in 2002 after Matias Reyes, a convicted murderer and rapist, confessed to being the sole perpetrator and DNA evidence confirmed his account. This period of his life deeply shaped his commitment to criminal justice reform. Santana was sentenced to 5-10 years in a youth correctional facility in 1990 and was released in 1995. However, he was re-incarcerated in 1998 for crack cocaine possession. The prosecutor ultimately reduced his sentence, acknowledging the impact of his earlier wrongful conviction, leading to his release in 2002.
Following his exoneration, Santana dedicated himself to advocacy and entrepreneurship. He co-founded Park Madison NYC, a clothing company named after his childhood neighborhood in Harlem, and donates a portion of its proceeds to the Innocence Project. His focus extends to addressing issues such as high rents, inadequate infrastructure, unsafe public transit, and failures within the criminal justice system. He has also been active in speaking engagements at schools and colleges, sharing his personal story and advocating for reforms. His advocacy played a role in the New York State law requiring video recording of interrogations, which took effect in 2018. Santana’s commitment to public service led him to announce his candidacy for the New York City Council’s 8th District, aiming to represent the community he grew up in and further his work on criminal justice reform.
Santana’s journey from wrongful conviction to activist and political candidate highlights his resilience and dedication to social change. He has consistently used his platform to speak out against injustices and work towards a more equitable system, partnering with organizations like the Innocence Project and the New York City Justice League.
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