ATL Hawks Coach, Wife, Donate To GA Innocence Project

ATLANTA, GA — Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Lloyd Pierce and his wife, Melissa Pierce pledged Thursday a financial contribution for the Georgia Innocence Project.

They plan to match up to $15,000 on Friday, which is Wrongful Conviction Day. The nonprofit works to prevent wrongful convictions in Georgia.

“With the current climate in our country, we felt compelled to grow our partnership with GIP. In the midst of this pandemic, the need to intelligently pursue criminal justice reform and address mass incarceration issues is urgent,” Lloyd and Melissa Pierce jointly said.

According to recent studies, it is estimated that approximately five percent of all people in prison are innocent of the crimes they are imprisoned for.

For the state of Georgia, that means more than 2,000 people are currently in prison for crimes they did not commit, according to the studies.

The Atlanta Hawks also created a special co-branded apparel bundle with GIP in 2019. The popular $35 bundle, which includes a t-shirt, hat and band, has been re-released and is available for purchase online at HawksShop.com with 100 percent of proceeds going directly to support the GIP until Monday, Oct. 5.

To learn more about the Georgia Innocence Project and Wrongful Conviction Day, please visit georgiainnocenceproject.org.