Rebuilding Hope After a Wrongful Conviction with Gio Romero

Gio Hernandez Romero is a UCLA student and criminal justice reform advocate who was wrongfully convicted at the age of 14 and spent 17 years in prison before being exonerated in 2023 through the Loyola Law School Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing Clinic. Once sentenced to 50 years to life for a crime he did not commit, Gio’s journey from a juvenile defendant to a university scholar and aspiring lawyer is a testament to resilience, education, and the power of advocacy. During his incarceration, he participated in The Last Mile’s coding program, an experience that helped him rebuild a sense of purpose and envision a future beyond prison walls.

Since his release, Gio has become an outspoken advocate for youth justice reform and the rights of the wrongfully convicted, speaking internationally about rehabilitation, reentry, and systemic change. In this conversation with host Tara Trask, Gio reflects on the failures of the justice system that led to his wrongful conviction, the emotional toll of adolescence spent behind bars, and the institutions and people—especially his family and Loyola Law’s legal team—who refused to give up on him. He discusses how programs like The Last Mile restore dignity and hope to incarcerated individuals, providing the tools to reenter society with confidence and purpose.