30,000 MEN AND WOMEN SERVING SENTENCES IN ILLINOIS PRISONS.

THERE ARE SOME WHO PROCLAIM THEIR INNOCENCE.

>> IN THE LAST 20 YEARS THE STATE HAS RELEASED A SPATE OF MOSTLY MEN WHO WERE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED SOME AFTER TORTURED CONFESSIONS.

IN FACT, THE STATE FACED SO MANY CLAIMS OF TORTURE.

IT CREATED THE TORTURE RELIEF AND INQUIRY COMMISSION OR TURK IN 2009.

BUT FOR ONE MAN IN STATESVILLE PRISON, A FORMER MARINE.

THE LAW HASN'T PROVIDED RELIEF BUT ONLY RAISED QUESTIONS LIKE WHO IS THE LAST 4?

>> WHEN I FIRST MET DARRYL FAIR, HE WAS JOGGING ON THE YARD AT STATE BILL CORRECTIONAL WHILE I WAS THERE ON ANOTHER STORY.

>> WE KEPT IN TOUCH AND HE SHARED THE STORY OF HOW HE CAME TO PRESENT MORE THAN 25 YEARS AGO.

25 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AND THEN DAYS.

>> IS FAIR?

AND HIS ATTORNEY SAY HE WAS WRONGFULLY CONVICTED OF A MURDER THAT HAPPENED IN CHICAGO IN MAN WAS SHOT TO DEATH OUTSIDE A IT'S COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT MISTER FERRER WAS UNDENIABLY PRESENT AT THE TIME THAT THE CRIME WAS COMMITTED.

THEY SAY WHILE HE WAS AT THE CLUB, HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CRIME BUT FAILED WAS CONVICTED AND HE BELIEVES IT'S BECAUSE OF HIS CONFESSION, WHICH HE SAYS WAS COERCED AT THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT'S AREA TO STATION AT 100 11TH AND ELLIS.

AND EXPLOSION HAPPENED ALL MY LORE LET LEFT RIGHT BELOW THE KNEECAP AND HE KICKED ME AFTER HIS FIRST INITIAL KICK.

HE CAN MAYBE LIKE MAYBE 7, 8, MORE TIMES.

BUT I WAS ABLE TO DEFLECT SOME OF TO BLOWS.

WITH MY FREE HAND AND ALL THE HE HAS HIS RIGHT HAND.

>> RESTING ON HIS SERVICE KNOW REVOLVER AND HE'S TRYING TO BAIT ME AND, YOU KNOW, GO FOR GO FOR MAKE A MOVE.

JUST GIVE ME DEFINITE REASON FEAR.

AND HIS ATTORNEYS AT THE EXONERATION PROJECT WHICH PROVIDES FREE LEGAL SERVICES TO THE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED.

>> SAY OVER THE COURSE OF 30 HOURS, HE WAS THREATENED, DENIED FOOD, ASTHMA MEDICATION.

>> AND HIS RIGHT TO COUNSEL.

BY THE TIME FAIR AGREED TO THE CONFESSION.

HE SAYS HE WAS DESPERATE.

>> I WAS EXHAUSTED.

THEY TELL ME I WAS GOING GOAL TO JAIL.

FAIR OVER.

HEY, WE JUST NEED YOU TO SAY IT AND YOU CAN GO HOME.

IT WAS JUST TERRIFYING, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE.

YOU KNOW, IT ALL WAS A BLUR.

AND I THINK, OKAY, WELL, LISTEN, I'M JUST BY ME SAYING I KNOW I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.

OKAY.

SAY, YOU KNOW, FACT ME AND 83 HE'S, YOU KNOW, HE'S ALWAYS TO ME, JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY HIS CURRENT ATTORNEYS DEAD LOVI AND RUSSELL AINSWORTH'S 8 FAIR, NEVER SIGNED THE CONFESSION THAT WAS USED IN COURT.

>> WHAT'S MORE?

THEY SAY THERE'S BEEN NO DENIAL IN COURT OF THE TORTURE FAIR SUFFERED AND NONE OF THE WITNESSES EVER IDENTIFIED HIM AS THE SHOOTER.

THE MOVIE EVEN ARGUED THE CASE BEFORE THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT LAST SUMMER BY THE PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE IN A FEBRUARY RULING, JUSTICES MADE 2 DECISIONS.

THE FIRST YES, IN FACT, THE COURT MUST CONSIDER THE TOTALITY OF CIRCUMSTANCES IN A TORTURE CASE.

>> THAT'S WHY THIS THE PEN USE FOR IMPORTANT.

IT'S RECOGNIZING THE TORTURE COMES IN FORMS, NOT JUST THE CLASSIC, KNIFE TO THE OR OR THE THREATENED TO KILL YOUR MOTHER.

IT ALSO COMES IN THE FORM OF AGAINST THE PREPARATION OF DEPRIVING SOMEONE OF MEDICINE.

I'M NOT ALLOWING THEM TO SPEAK TO YOUR ATTORNEY.

THIS SORT OF.

EVENTS THAT GO ON AND ON AND BUILD UPON EACH OTHER.

THAT MAY ACTUALLY COURSE SOMEONES WILL.

AND FORCED THEM TO SIGN A CONFESSION FALSELY.

>> BUT THE COURT ALSO UPHELD A LOWER COURT RULING THAT FAIR WAS, QUOTE, A HOLY INCREDIBLE WITNESS.

QUOTE, WE NOTE THE CIRCUIT COURT SPECIFICALLY FOUND PETITIONER WAS NOT CREDIBLE IN TESTIFYING ABOUT THE ALLEGED ATTACK ITSELF.

THINK WE PUT THE LOWER COURT BECAUSE OF WITNESS CREDIBILITY.

AND THIS IS A VERY FOX SITUATION BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO DETERMINED CRITICALLY WITNESSES.

25 YEARS, YOU KNOW.

PREVIOUSLY AND NONE OF THE COPS THAT WERE INVOLVED TESTIFIED.

ONE OF THEM HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN OTHER ACTS OF OF TORTURE.

>> INSTEAD, JUDGES FOUND THE ASSISTANT STATE'S ATTORNEY WHO TOOK FAIRS AND SIGNED CONFESSION MORE CREDIBLE THAN FAIR HIMSELF.

WE REACHED OUT TO THE COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHO SO FAR HAVE SHARED NO COMMENT.

>> ON THE OTHER HAND ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY WHO WAS THERE, DID TESTIFY AFTER FACT, EVEN THOUGH HE WASN'T THERE DURING THIS TORTURE THE LEAST THE MAJORITY OF THE COURT AGREED WITH THE ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY AND FOUND THAT MISTER FAIR COMPARISON WAS INCREDIBLE BECAUSE HIS STORY HAD OVER THE YEARS.

AND IT'S THIS PART OF THE RULING THAT HIS ATTORNEYS DISAGREE WITH.

>> FACT OF THE MATTER IS HE'S ALWAYS MADE THE SAME ALLEGATIONS.

HE'S BEEN CONSISTENT ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS THAT HE CAN'T REMEMBER.

>> YOU KNOW, WHICH POINT THIS HAPPENED OR THAT HAPPENED, I THINK THAT IS A TRIBUTE WILL TO HOW MUCH TIME HAS GONE BY AND ALSO THE SEVERE TRAUMA THAT HE ENDURED.

>> IN FACT, IN 2013, THE STATE'S OWN TORTURE COMMISSION FOUND THAT FAIR HAD A CREDIBLE CLAIM OF TORTURE.

>> STATE DID NOT PRESENT ANYBODY TO REBUT THE CLAIMS OF TORTURE THAT OCCURRED DURING THE 30 HOURS OF INTERROGATION.

AND SO BASED ON THE UNDERBODY TESTIMONY FROM MISTER FAIR, HE WAS ENTITLED TO RELIEF UNDER THE ACT.

I MEAN, A STATUTE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE USED TO ALLOW PEOPLE WHO ARE ABUSED TO GET RELIEF IS BEING USED AGAINST MISTER FAIR WHERE HE CAN'T GET HIS DAY IN COURT.

>> THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION MEANS FAIR WILL NOT RECEIVE A NEW TRIAL AND A CHANCE TO BE EXONERATED AND RELEASED.

IT WAS A GUT PUNCH.

YOU KNOW.

>> FIELD DEFLATED.

I'M ALONG.

>> WHILE MAINTAINING HIS INNOCENCE PAIR HAS GRADUATED FROM NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY AND IS WORKING TOWARD HIS MASTER'S AT NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY.

>> ALL WHILE BEHIND BARS.

HE'S ALSO BECOME QUITE AN ARTIST.

HIS WORK EVEN GRACING THE COVER POETRY MAGAZINE.

IT'S HELPED TO MAINTAIN HOPE, DESPITE HIS MANY LEGAL SETBACKS.

>> I DON'T WANT TO LET THE PASS.

SO TO FIND ME, BUT I'M TRYING TO SAVE FUTURE TO THE BEST OF MY CHINA MAY EMBRACE LIFE.

WHAT HAVE LEFT HERE ON HIS R EMBRACE HUMANITY AND THEN YOU HAVE TO KIND OF LIVE, YOU KNOW, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD AND NOT BEHIND.

>> AGAIN, WE REACHED OUT TO THE COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY AND ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE IS SO FAR THEY'VE SHARED NO COMMENT.

LILLIAN AINSWORTH'S ARE HOPEFUL THAT KIM FOXX CONVICTION REVIEW UNIT WILL EXAMINE THE CASE IF NOT A SEPARATE OPTION THEY'RE CONSIDERING IS FILING A SUCCESSIVE POST CONVICTION PETITION WHICH CAN BE MORE CHALLENGING AS IT REQUIRES THE COURT'S PERMISSION TO BE FILED.

THE ILLINOIS TORTURE INQUIRY AND RELIEF COMMISSION