• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, August 16, 2016

At a time when American discourse seems focused on whether there is equal protection under the law, MTV today will kick off an outdoor media campaign that makes the timing even more explicit: A billboard on the corner of Watts Street and Thompson Street in New York City featuring an “innocence clock.”

The clock will serve as a visceral reminder of the state of the American justice system, updating and displaying statistics showing how many innocent people go to prison each hour.

It’s not the first time that billboard clocks have been used to draw attention to a mounting social dilemma. The “National Debt Clock” in Midtown New York serves as a constant reminder to onlookers that our national debt keeps rising. But MTV is utilizing the device to draw attention to the criminal justice system in general, and to a new MTV docu-series, in particular. The series, “Unlocking The Truth,” premieres Wednesday night and looks at the system from the point of view of Ryan Ferguson, who spent 10 years in prison for a murder he was later found innocent of committing.