For years, the people of Cleveland have wondered if the right man was on death row.

 

In 2008, a small group of concerned citizens who had heard about Mr. Tyler's case began meeting.  The Sisters of St. Joseph welcomed the group to meet at their River's Edge facility in Cleveland, and Justice for Arthur Tyler was born. The group was formed out of the Pax Christi-West group after a letter writing project in 2000 led to one of its members, Ian Heisey, connecting with inmate Arthur Tyler. After several years of letter writing, Ian and his wife, Christine, met Arthur's sister, Francine, and soon began to visit Arthur in prison in Youngstown.

 

Justice for Arthur Tyler has maintained a presence at city-wide festivals, reached out to local high school students; commissioned a local songwriter to compose an original song about Mr. Tyler; and held its own awareness campaigns, fundraising events, and prayer vigils at area churches over the years.  In 2006, Cleveland's The Plain Dealer featured Mr. Tyler's case.  Justice for Arthur Tyler brought the situation to the attention of death penalty abolitionist Sr. Helen Prejean, who has raised his case with hundreds of people at various talks.

 

His advocates are so happy that he is no longer on Ohio's Death Row, but insist that justice has not been served until he is released from prison.