The Paul Redd Freedom Fellowship honors late activist who was freed after decades in prison
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 31, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org
**PRESS RELEASE**
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office has launched a new, paid fellowship position that honors the late Paul Redd, who was freed in 2020, with the office’s help, after 44 years in prison. The Paul Redd Freedom Fellowship position, funded by private donations, is part of the office’s Freedom Project, which helps individuals who are ready for release from long prison sentences attain their freedom. Redd was first person freed following The Freedom Project’s launch in 2020 and was also the subject of the first film produced by The Adachi Project, the Public Defender’s Office film initiative. Tragically, Redd died due to COVID complications in 2022. He is remembered as a fierce advocate who challenged the brutality of solitary confinement and created programs to support prisoners suffering from cancer.
“The two-plus years our brother and uncle had in freedom were nowhere near enough, but we are deeply grateful to the Freedom Project for every moment he was able to spend free,” said Ugene Jackson, Redd’s nephew, on behalf of the family. “The Freedom Project team made those precious years possible, and we will always be thankful. If he were alive today, Paul would never have stopped fighting for more freedom and more humane prison conditions. Thank you to the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office for creating this fellowship to honor his legacy and keep his work alive.”
The Freedom Project
The Freedom Project (TFP) has helped secure the release of 109 people and counting from California prisons through a range of legal pathways, including persuading courts to re-examine excessive prison sentences via parole hearings and Racial Justice Act challenges . TFP has also helped draft and pass legislation that strengthened California’s “second look” resentencing laws and created a new pathway for court-initiated resentencing. Most of the people TFP represents are older adults or individuals who were convicted as youth.
“Against all odds and incredible obstacles, Paul never stopped fighting for his own freedom, helped so many others in their individual freedom quests, and was a movement leader to improve prison conditions,” said Danielle Harris, director of The Freedom Project. “The ideal fellowship candidate will exemplify the tenacity, grit, and empathy that Paul embodied so fully.”
About Paul Redd
Redd, who grew up in Oakland, was one of two men accused in 1975 of killing a local drug seller. Redd was 19. The other man struck a deal with prosecutors, ensuring he would serve no time if he testified against Redd. That testimony was the only evidence against Redd, who maintained his innocence, but he was convicted in a trial that lasted only three days from jury selection to verdict. Redd then spent 44 years in prison, 30 of which were spent in solitary confinement. In 2013, he participated in hunger strikes at Pelican Bay and was a named plaintiff in a landmark class action lawsuit against the state Department of Corrections. Both actions were instrumental in reducing the inhumane use of solitary confinement in California. Once freed from solitary, Redd became a prison hospice worker.
The Fellowship Position
The Paul Redd Freedom fellow will gather, organize, and summarize necessary records and track data to assist attorneys and social workers handling resentencing, lifer parole hearings, and habeas petitions. Individuals who are formerly incarcerated or otherwise directly impacted are encouraged to apply. More info can be found here.
“This fellowship will provide the right candidate with the opportunity to fundamentally improve the lives of individuals serving unjust sentences,” said elected San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju. “We’re pleased to be able to honor Mr. Redd and to expand the critical work of our Freedom Project.”
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