Let Freedom ring: KC brothers develop an app that helps exonerees

When Dylan Carnahan started a podcast five years ago in his Kansas City apartment, little did he know it would lead to an interest in criminal justice, righting wrongs and the creation of an app aimed at helping those wrongfully imprisoned.

In Carnahan’s Simple Questions podcast, he lets his curiosity run wild, exploring all types of topics he has always wanted to learn about. Carnhahan does this by inviting guests with expertise in said topics—such as a competitive eater, a UFC fighter and a retired FBI chief who was part of the Unabomber investigation—and asking them lots of questions.

It was through one such guest, Marvin Cotton Jr., an exoneree who had spent 20 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, that Carnahan learned about the tough road that exonerees face when they are finally released from prison. This interview led to not only a friendship with Cotton, who is the founder of the Organization of Exonerees, but also a collaboration with Carnahan’s brother, Alex Provenzano, a software engineer, to develop an app aimed at easing the transition from prison life to civilian life for those wrongly incarcerated.

Cotton was arrested, charged and received a life sentence in 2001 for first-degree murder—a crime he did not commit. When he was exonerated, he was released into a completely new world that he didn’t know how to navigate. 

“You’re building your life from nothing,” Cotton says. “You’re building a life from zero. You have no money. And if you’ve done 20 years, like myself, you have a lot of family members that are deceased. I noticed immediately that there weren’t any resources or plans to handle and deal with exonerees.” 

That’s exactly what Carnahan says the app addresses. Using AI, educational resources and service request software, the app serves as a one-stop shop for exonerees, addressing a critical lack of resources for the wrongfully imprisoned while also advocating for their needs and giving them a voice. 

Carnahan and Cotton kept in touch for months after they recorded the episode, texting and calling each other frequently. As he and Cotton got closer, Carnahan came up with an idea. 

“I was just sitting at home one night and (thought), ‘What if we made an app that facilitated a lot of the things that (Cotton) is having to deal with?’” Carnahan says. He sent Cotton a text message asking him exactly that, and the rest is history. “I was asking him a lot of calibrated questions about what challenges exonerees face. I got to a point where I realized we could actually build something.”

Cotton’s insights and partnership are what make the app feel like it perfectly addresses the challenges. In addition to Cotton’s partnership, the brothers also worked with other members of the Organization of Exonerees to make sure a variety of different concerns, suggestions and perspectives were being considered. 

“I could draft up an idea of what an exoneree needs, but that wouldn’t be grounded in their perspective,” Carnahan says. “I don’t have that understanding.” 

Carnahan says that from an outside perspective, the entire friendship could seem unorthodox. But as soon as he met Cotton, Carnahan says he felt drawn to his resilience and passion for helping others. 

“I think when you hear Marvin’s story and you hear the story of the other exonerees, it’s a very compelling call to action,” he says.

The app allows users to request services from local organizations, including housing, transportation and mental health support. Those requests are immediately sent to each organization, while the app tracks the fulfillment of the request in real time. AI-powered assistance answers questions and offers personalized feedback to users, and educational information that is uploaded by various organizations help exonerees navigate modern technology, finances and other life skills. 

When Provenzano was developing the app’s software, the brothers knew they wanted the app to ultimately be something that was easy to use with no barrier to entry. The design is simple and straightforward, using color-coded buttons for easy navigation. Every detail was created with the exoneree’s needs in mind. 

Even though Carnahan, Porvenzano and the entire Organization of Exonerees hopes the app inspires nationwide change, Carnahan specifically hopes that the Kansas City community he grew up in joins their effort to reform the criminal justice system for exonerees. 

“I would call upon the community that shaped Alex and I to join in on this movement,” he says. “We’re changing things.”  

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