Our History

Founded by Sunny Jacobs and Peter Pringle, both survivors of wrongful conviction and death row, the Sunny Center Foundation transforms personal trauma into a mission of hope and renewal.

Sunny was released after years on death row and 17 years of incarceration in Florida for a crime she did not commit. Peter was released after spending years on death row and 15 years behind bars in Ireland for a crime he did not commit. Their paths crossed in 1998 while advocating for their community, when they met, fell in love, and found strength in their shared experiences of injustice, survival, and healing.

Drawing on the practices that sustained them: yoga, meditation, and prayer, they began welcoming others into their home in 2012, offering refuge and support to those rebuilding their lives after wrongful conviction.

In 2014, their vision grew into the Sunny Center Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing immediate access to sanctuary housing with the focus of  housing and environment as a mental health intervention, as well as many other dedicated pathways to holistic healing for persons impacted by wrongful convictions around the world.