NCJ Number
203912
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 46 Issue: 2 Dated: January 2004 Pages: 107-120
Date Published
January 2004
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article examines the extent of wrongful convictions in the United States, specifically the frequency, causes, and criminal justice reforms to reduce the number of wrongful convictions.
Abstract
Throughout the Nation’s history, the United States has experienced the problem of wrongful conviction. In the United States, as well as other countries, wrongful convictions often result in many years of unwarranted punishment and serious damage to the lives of the wrongfully convicted. This article discusses the contemporary American experience of wrongful conviction. It discusses the extent to which these errors may occur, the major factors contributing to false convictions, and recent and current development regarding legislation in the United States. When examining the causes of wrongful convictions in the United States, issues addressed include eyewitness error, overzealous or unethical police and prosecutors, false and coerced confessions and improper interrogations, inappropriate use of jailhouse informants, ineffective assistance of counsel, forensic errors, incompetence, and fraud, and the adversarial system. Recent criminal justice reforms in reducing the number of wrongful convictions have included the Innocence Protection Act of 2003, the founding and establishment of the Innocence Project and innocence commissions, and the proposed abolishment of the death penalty. It is imperative that a better understanding be developed of wrongful conviction, as well as to reduce its occurrence in order to protect the innocent and protect society from continued victimization by criminals who may remain free while innocent persons go to prison or even to their deaths. References