Innocence Canada gets funding to keep lights on and keep fighting injustice

Ron Dalton spent a decade fighting for his freedom and earned it. Now, he's managed to buy a few more years to fight for others.

Innocence Canada, a not-for-profit organization working to overturn wrongful convictions, will receive $825,000 over the next three years from the Ontario provincial government, along with $75,000 from the Law Society of Upper Canada. 

• Man wrongfully convicted of killing his wife fights to save Innocence Canada

• Innocence Canada struggling for funding for wrongfully convicted cases

The organization was in danger earlier this year when a $1 million donation, used for operating expenses, ran out.

"It's just enough to keep the lights on," Dalton, the group's co-president, said of the new money. "It's not a massive amount of money, particularly in government circles … But it was welcome news to our small organization."

Freedom at a cost

Innocence Canada has helped exonerate 21 people and has led to seven public inquiries.

The situation is all too familiar for Dalton, who was accused of killing his wife in 1989 while the couple was living in Gander. His wife, Brenda, died of asphyxiation. Prosecutors argued Dalton strangled or smothered her, while he maintained she choked on cereal.

We save the system money as well as freeing wrongly convicted people.- Ron Dalton, co-president of Innocence Canada

While Innocence Canada was not involved in his case, a jury exonerated him of the crime in 2000. He spent eight years in prison.

The organization is headquartered in Toronto, with a staff of three people. The government money will go towards paying rent, bills and administrative costs.

The entirety of the legal work is done pro-bono [at no cost] Dalton said, with an estimated $3.5 million worth of time donated annually.

Recognition for good work

The money from Ontario is the first Innocence Canada has received from government. Dalton sees it as more than just money, but a nod to the work the organization has done.

Innocence Canada is currently dealing with 85 cases. A dozen have been on their list for more than 15 years.

The organization is vital to Canadians who have been through the hell of wrongful conviction, said Ontario Attorney General Yasir Naqvi.

"Innocence Canada plays an important role in our justice system by advocating for people who may have been wrongfully convicted but cannot afford a lawyer," said Naqvi.

It would take millions of dollars to get optimal funding, according to Dalton, but would save taxpayers the cost of jailing innocent people.

"We think there's a business case to be made," he said. "We save the system money as well as freeing wrongly convicted people."

Dalton hopes the Ontario grant will inspire other provinces to give.

In the meantime, the group will continue to slug through the 85 cases on its list.

"Our plan [for 2017] is to keep our heads down and plow forward with as many of these cases as we can."