[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 117 (Thursday, July 24, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1222-E1223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING JAMES C. McCLOSKEY

                                  _____
                                 

                             HON. RUSH HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 24, 2014

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career and 
accomplishments of James C. McCloskey who has served for the past 34 
years as the Founder and Executive Director of Centurion Ministries of 
Princeton, New Jersey, and has been a tireless advocate for people 
wrongly convicted across our country.
  A native of Philadelphia, Jim graduated from Bucknell University in 
1964. After three years as a naval officer in Japan and Vietnam, Jim 
spent 13 years in business in Tokyo and Philadelphia. After his stint 
in the business world, Jim opted for a change and went to pursue a 
Masters in Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. During that 
time Jim served as a student chaplain at the Trenton State Prison where 
he met then inmate Jorge De Los Santos.
  After listening to the convicted man's claims of innocence Jim took 
it upon himself to review the case.
  After reading the entire record of the case, he came to believe that 
Mr. De Los Santos was innocent. Jim then, using his own money, spent 
the next three years, including a yearlong sabbatical from seminary, 
investigating Mr. De Los Santos' case. After bringing forward the only 
witness against Mr. De Los Santos, Jim hired a young lawyer, Paul 
Casteleiro, to have the case retried. In July 1983 Mr. De Los Santos 
was exonerated and freed and Centurion Ministries was launched. Jim 
knew that this was his calling for the rest of his life.
  Most of the early cases came from the stories that Mr. De Los Santos 
had told Jim regarding several other men Mr. De Los Santos believed 
were innocent. Upon reading their case files Jim came to believe them, 
too. Jim worked alone until 1987 when he obtained his fifth exoneration 
and the general public took notice of this remarkable work he was 
doing.
  He founded Centurion Ministries in order to bring voice to those who 
have lost all appeals and thus all hope of having their wrongful 
convictions brought to light. Beginning with a staff of just himself, 
Centurion Ministries has grown and now has eight full time staff, five 
part time staff, and a group of 23 part time volunteers who dedicate 
their time to the cause of the wrongfully convicted.
  Centurion Ministries takes on the difficult cases. They do not shun 
cases that can turn on DNA evidence, but because there are other 
avenues for inmates whose cases have DNA evidence, Centurion 
Ministries' focus has been primarily on cases that require a field 
investigation and a very savvy lawyer. To date Centurion Ministries has 
overturned the wrongful

[[Page E1223]]

conviction of 53 individuals who have served a combined 1083 years 
wrongfully imprisoned, and at any given time is working on 20 or so 
cases at various stages of investigation.
  I cannot stress strongly enough the courage and heart Jim exemplifies 
in this now crowded field of work. He not only chose to work for people 
he did not know, but he used his own money to do so. Unlike most of the 
people doing similar work today who have universities to pay their 
salaries and give them office and staff, Jim had only himself to rely 
on. He lived modestly and devoted himself to this cause. His commitment 
to these individuals he works for does not end with their freedom. They 
are family.
  Although Jim has announced he will no longer have an active role in 
the day to day operations of Centurion Ministries in the spring of next 
year, I know that he will continue to be a force for justice for years 
to come. He is a very special person. I join many admirers of Jim 
McCloskey in thanking him for his work and wishing him well in the 
future.

                          ____________________