39969 is the prisoner identification number of Gary Critchley, wrongly convicted of murder in 1981.

Over the last few years, Gary has become a dedicated and accomplished artist. His works have won awards and been exhibited internationally. This site has a gallery of some of Gary's works.

In March 2012, Gary was released on parole to serve his sentence in the community. While this is a great step forward for Gary, he is still not a free man as he could be recalled to prison at any time. Meanwhile, White & Case, an influential firm of lawyers, has taken on his case to try to get his conviction overthrown. Gary is living in Birmingham, near his family, and is struggling to cope with a world he has not known for over 30 years.