Exonerated Former Prisoner Speaks at UMD

Nathson Fields Spent 18 Years in Prison and 12 Years on Death Row

DULUTH, Minn. – A wrongfully convicted former prisoner spoke with students at the University of Minnesota-Duluth about his experience.

Nathson Fields spent eighteen years in prison, including twelve on death row, before he was exonerated for a double murder he did not commit.

Now he spreads awareness about wrongful convictions and why he believes the death penalty should be abolished.

“We all make mistakes,” says Fields. “The death penalty decision isn’t a decision that, it cannot be a mistake, it must be perfect because you can’t bring a person back from the graveyard.”

He says teaching students about his experience is important because they are the future lawyers and politicians who can change the system.