Justice for Daoud Boone
Daoud Boone, son of late civil rights leader Rev. Richard Boone, was born a target.
Learn more about Daoud’s 18-year quest for justice and his incredible mission—from inside the walls of an Alabama prison—to elevate voices of many who endure racial injustice in Alabama.
Life Without Parole
Daoud Boone, a military veteran and playwright, has spent the past 18 years behind bars for a crime we believe he did not commit. The son of prominent civil rights leader, the late Reverend Richard Boone, Daoud believes he was born a target simply because his father was a revolutionary fighting against prejudice and police brutality in Montgomery, Alabama.
On this page, you’ll learn more about Daoud’s case, his journey, his upcoming play entitled Beauty and Brutality, and his mission to help shine a light on cases like his and the injustice he and countless others experience within the prison system.
NILJ is working to help Daoud fight for justice and freedom.
Will you join the fight?
You can help by donating to fund investigative/legal costs of fighting for Daoud’s freedom
You can help by donating to NILJ to help fund the production of “Beauty and Brutality” in Birmingham, AL in 2026.
You can help by sharing this page with others.
Top photo: Rev Richard Boone with his son, Daoud Boone. Bottom photo: Daoud prior to his incarceration.
Justice for Daoud Boone
Daoud Boone was 25 years old, home on leave from the Navy, when he was arrested at his parents' home in Montgomery and charged with the capital murder of his former girlfriend, Sylvia Perry.
This, despite the fact that he didn’t match the description of the shooter.
Despite the fact that he was nowhere near the scene of the crime.
Despite the fact that there was no DNA evidence linking him to the murder.
His first trial ended in a hung jury—a mistrial. But in a second trial, without any new evidence, Daoud was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Just one week before the murder, Daoud’s father—Reverend Richard Boone, a well-known civil rights leader—had publicly protested police brutality on the steps of the Montgomery Police Department.
Daoud has now spent 18 years behind bars fighting for justice. The Innocence Project has declined his case, as they primarily focus on death row cases involving DNA evidence. Local innocence organizations like Alabama Appleseed only take on nonviolent cases, leaving Daoud with few options for legal recourse.
Not only has Daoud been fighting for justice in his own case, but he also penned Men’s Training, a play that dismantles the typical stereotypes of people who are incarcerated. Men’s Training looks at how we define who we are from within and survive the cultures of the institution, and the central character models how to overcome life’s obstacles to be the best persons we can be.
Now, NILJ is helping to raise funds for a Birmingham, Alabama-based professional production of Daoud’s new play developed from his own writing, using court transcripts and conversations. The play, Beauty and Brutality, is a bold step toward truth, healing, and change.
Wrongful convictions affect tens of thousands in the U.S.—Daoud’s story is one of many, but we believe in the impact of storytelling to create justice.
At the National Institute for Law and Justice, we are committed to helping Daoud fight for his freedom—and to shedding light on a case that demands deeper scrutiny.
THE STORY THAT DEMANDS TO BE TOLD
"I stopped telling people I was innocent a long time ago."
These words open the true story of Daoud Boone, a young Black man wrongfully convicted of murder in Alabama—the son of civil rights hero Reverend Richard C. Boone. This powerful theatrical production brings to light not just one man's fight for justice, but the systemic failures that continue to plague our criminal justice system.
Set against the backdrop of Alabama's mass incarceration crisis—where the state's imprisonment rate of 938 per 100,000 citizens exceeds that of any democratic country in the world—"Beauty and Brutality" reveals how being born the "son of a Revolutionary" made Daoud a target from birth.
Help fund “Beauty and Brutality”—a play written By Daoud Boone
THE MISSION: ART SERVING JUSTICE
This production represents more than entertainment—it's a catalyst for change. Through partnership with the National Institute for Law and Justice (NILJ) nonprofit, every ticket sold becomes an investment in real-world justice reform.
About NILJ
The National Institute for Law and Justice is a nonprofit organization dedicated to exposing and correcting wrongful convictions through:
Advanced DNA testing and forensic analysis
Legal advocacy for the wrongfully convicted
Systemic reform initiatives
Educational programs on criminal justice reform
The Production's Impact Promise
Once production costs are covered, all ticket sales will directly fund costs related to Daoud’s case/investigation and NILJ's critical work, including:
DNA testing for Daoud's case and similar wrongful conviction cases
Expert witness fees for appeals
Investigation costs for uncovering new evidence
Legal representation Daoud and others
Should Daoud's case reach resolution before the production opens, these funds (over and above the production costs of the Beauty and Brutality) will support other individuals fighting similar battles for justice.
Sponsorship Opportunities Coming Soon
Read the opening of Daoud’s play below….
The Opening of “Beauty and Brutality” a play by Daoud Boone
I stopped telling people I was innocent a long time ago. I’ve been behind fences and concrete walls built with the intent to incapacitate since 2007. The air is different here. It’s suffocating almost. Metallic tasting.
This is the era of mass incarceration. Our prison population in the United States far exceeds anywhere else in the world. Alabama’s incarceration rate as a State is 938 citizens per 100,000, higher than any Democratic country in the world. Alabama’s mandatory sentencing laws are longer than almost every other state.
I was never violent. I’m not ignorant, nor did I grow up ill-informed. I wasn’t on drugs or alcohol. I didn’t sell drugs. I wasn’t a criminal.
I was the son of a Revolutionary. I was born a target.
Ways to Help Daoud
Coming soon
IMPORTANT DATES
July 7, 2025 - Rev. Richard Boone Day
August 12, 2025 - Table Read of BEAUTY AND BRUTALITY in Birmingham, AL 6:30-9:30 pm at The Dance Foundation, Studio 1