Free Hernan “Spel” Cortes
Together, Hernan "Spel" Cortes, Fidel Santiago, and John Payne have spent more than 120 years wrongly incarcerated. Each has submitted an application for commutation of their sentence so that they can return to their families. Spel, Fidel, and John go before the Board of Pardons for a merit review on July 10, 2025. If voted forward, they will proceed to a public hearing where the Board will make a final decision.
For Spel, Fidel, and John, this is likely a last chance to have their cases heard and to hope for release from prison.
“I remember him as a cheerful and polite young man, attentive and spirited in our workshops. His creativity and artistic skill contributed greatly to our project.”
Meet Spel: Hernan "Spel" Cortes has been incarcerated for 35 years. He was wrongfully convicted of a 1990 murder - a conviction based on unreliable testimony of two witnesses, one of whom later admitted that he lied; the other has never disputed his involvement in the crime.
Spel is an accomplished artist. He has worked with the Mural Arts Program, Arts in Changing America, and many projects from Philadelphia to New York and well beyond. The piece pictured below was spotlighted during our collaboration in 2023 with Grammy Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens. You can read more about their collaboration here. His contributions to the community both inside and outside of the prison walls are demonstrated clearly in letters of support for his commutation application, collected from people who know him and prominent figures influenced by his work.
Spel's family and patrons of his artwork are committed to supporting him upon his release from these decades of wrongful incarceration.
Spread the Word: In the coming weeks, we will ask you to share posts on social networks and help us to spread the word about your support for Project clients. An easy place to start is to look for this campaign on the Project's LinkedIn page and share posts with your network.