[Stephen Frazier, Cnn Anchor:] For 15 years, Jeffrey Pierce sat in an Oklahoma prison for a rape he did not commit. His two baby boys grew up without ever knowing Pierce was their father. He refused to admit guilt, even though doing so might have led to parole early. On Monday, Pierce was finally vindicated and released from prison. A DNA analysis proved he could not have been the rapist. This raised new questions about the methods that police chemists use, whose testimony led to Pierce's conviction. Jeffrey Pierce joins us from Oklahoma City this morning. Mr. Pierce, thank you very much.
[Jeffrey Pierce:] Good morning. `
[Frazier:] You maintained your innocence all the time you were in prison. What made them finally pay attention to you?
[Pierce:] They never did pay attention to me. I was down to living with paper sack. I had no privileges or anything. Finally, the legislature in Oklahoma, last year, passed a law that opened an indigent DNA defense system. They came, looked at my case, and took it, and within a month, we were finding out that there wasn't enough evidence to be DNAed, and the test was sent out to be DNAed.
[Frazier:] DNA testing has been around a very long time in some places. I think that in some places it was used before you were even convicted. What took so long for it to be available to you?
[Pierce:] When I wept to jury trial, there was no DNA testing. About a year after I came to prison was when the first person got out on DNA testing. In 1988, I did do a DNA test, but the evidence was not enough to get a result back in 1988.
[Frazier:] What was it that this police chemist Joyce Gilchrist was analyzing, as we now know, incorrectly?
[Pierce:] Miss Gilchrist analyzed every piece of evidence that she testified to in court. Not only was the semen not mine, the FBI and other chemists in the Oklahoma City Police Department looked at my hairs microscopically, and excluded me from being the person that left the hairs at the crime scene.
[Frazier:] Do you think that other innocent people have been sent to prison by this police office?
[Pierce:] I am almost certain. Miss Gilchrist worked for the Oklahoma City Police Department for 21 years and has testified in some 3,000 cases. I don't recall one case that was ever lost that she testified in.
[Frazier:] Wow. You must be feeling a little bit like Rip Van Winkle. I know your boys have grown up in your absence. Are there other things about life that have changed dramatically during your time inside?
[Pierce:] It just seems like the world is going so fast. Cell phones and computers are everywhere you look. I'm trying to get onto that little cell phone and computer kick, and get going with everybody else.
[Frazier:] How are you handling that part?
[Pierce:] I'm about used to the cell phones. I made my first cell phone call yesterday. As for the computer, I've only been on one for about 30 minutes.
[Frazier:] We mentioned in the introduction to this interview that had you admitted guilt or said you were guilty, it might have had practical benefit to you never mind the principles of letting you get out of prison a lot sooner. Do you ever regret standing firm on your principles?
[Pierce:] No, I do not. Even as early as four months ago, they had a sex offender treatment program, and they told me to go sign up to it, or lose all privileges. I had no telephone privileges, no canteen, just a one-hour visit behind glass. I mean just no privileges no TV or radio. I said, You're going to have to go take it, because I'm not going to go out to this program, in which you have to admit guilt in order to get in.
[Frazier:] Having been through all that, and now that you're released and exonerated, do you plan to sue anybody, bring a lawsuit against Miss Gilchrist or the system?
[Pierce:] I am looking at those options.
[Frazier:] Are there any options? Would you ask for any kind of censure, short of a lawsuit, if you don't want to go down that road?
[Pierce:] I want an independent investigation of all of the Oklahoma County police, prosecutors, and chemists. I just want the truth to come out, and if there are innocent people in there, get them out of prison. They're just rotting away in there. It took my case to open people's eyes that there are innocent people in prison, and to this lock-them-up-and-throw-away-the-key-and-no-questions-asked attitude that everybody has. The prosecutors are just doing it their way, and nobody's asking questions.
[Frazier:] Final question for you, Jeffrey Pierce. You seem to be a very unembittered man. How is it you can't blame people for what happened to you?
[Pierce:] The citizens of Oklahoma County have been duped too. The jurors have been sentencing people to prison, and now they're finding out that they lied to them in there, and they thus sent somebody to prison. I've had jurors in my case say they can't believe that the police got on the stand and lied like they did.
[Frazier:] Jeffrey Pierce, now that you're a free man, we're grateful that you took time out to join us and explain what happened to you. Thank you for joining us this morning.
[Pierce:] Thank you for having me. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com