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Innocence Project New Orleans to Honor HNOC with John Thompson Award for Courage & Justice

August 13, 2025

The Collection will receive the award for its work on the exhibition “Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration.”

A group of people view an exhibit in a gallery featuring a large historical illustration and several framed documents. A guide discusses the display, which includes a quote about shame and humiliation in a prison setting.
A docent provides a guided tour of Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration at the Historic New Orleans Collection. Photo by Amber Johnson, HNOC

On July 24, the Innocence Project of New Orleans (IPNO) named the Historic New Orleans Collection as the 2025 recipient of the John Thompson Award for Courage & Justice, in recognition for its work on the 2024 exhibition Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration.

Representatives from HNOC and its Captive State advisory committee will receive the award at IPNO’s annual gala on Saturday, September 13, 2025. Read their announcement below:

IPNO is proud to present he John Thompson Award for Courage & Justice to the Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) for their work on the Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration exhibition.

The exhibition brought to light the irrefutable historical link between the institutions of slavery and mass incarceration in Louisiana. The stories and historical artifacts charted Louisiana’s transformation over three centuries from a colonial slave society to the incarceration capital of the world.

This remarkable and unforgettable exhibition will continue to educate the public about mass incarceration in Louisiana through the publication entitled, Captive State, which will be released this Fall. More details will be available at the Gala.

IPNO is pleased to recognize HNOC, President and CEO Daniel Hammer, the curatorial team, and all other individuals and organizations who made this powerful exhibition dedicated to truth and accuracy possible through their hard work and commitment.

Learn more about the Innocence Project of New Orleans and its upcoming annual gala on their website.

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Exhibitions

Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration

July 19, 2024 to February 16, 2025

Learn how the institutions of slavery and mass incarceration are historically linked, and how these connections have made Louisiana the world leader in incarceration today.

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Historical illustration of a street scene with enslaved individuals working, a man on horseback, and people walking or observing. Wooden buildings and trees are in the background.

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Books

Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration

by Eric Seiferth, Katherine Jolliff Dunn, and Kevin T. Harrell (curators) and Nick Weldon (editor)

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CAPTIVE STATE cover

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A historical museum exhibit features a large black-and-white photograph of an old prison building. In front, there is a wooden stock used for restraining prisoners, with openings for neck and wrists. The quote on the photo describes the harsh prison conditions.
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Louisiana Weekly: HNOC Receives LEH Award for Louisiana Mass Incarceration Exhibit

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Officials praised “Captive State” for addressing a difficult and often polarizing subject with scholarly depth while remaining accessible to a broad audience.
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New Exhibition Explores Historical Links Between Slavery and Mass Incarceration

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