Students at St. Luke's School have petitioned the state of Alabama to formally apologize to a man who served time for a crime he didn't commit.

Anthony Ray Hinton was convicted of killing two men during robberies in 1985. His lawyer says there was no reliable evidence in the case and he was facing the electric chair partly because one of the victims was white.

He was sent to prison, and spent 30 years on death row.  Hinton was released from prison in 2015.

Hinton visited St. Luke's in December to tell his story and students were so moved by what they heard.

So students created a petition to try and get the state of Alabama to issue a formal apology to Hinton. It's something he has been wanting.

One student said they all want to do everything they can to help Hinton get justice.

St Luke's students also met Hinton last month in Alabama on a civil rights trip. The petition has gathered almost 1,500 signatures.