The project aims, first, to exonerate people incarcerated that are seeking post-conviction DNA testing in order to prove their innocence, where there may have been a lack of pertinent data collected during trial that resulted in their conviction. Staff with the program closely evaluate each case and represent the person to conduct DNA testing that has worked for many clients already to exonerate innocent people. Considering the substantial amounts of people in prison, to include prisoners waiting on death row, I’d say that the project aims in the right direction. I am curious however, where the DNA testing is focused on. The site goes to tell that there are people that have been exonerated after serving up to 14 years…amazing that DNA testing would still be applicable, especially after some cases may be closed. With that also, then, the project also aims to bring to light flaws within legal system that focus on the inaccuracy of unvalidated evidence used in trial to convict. It’s no secret that flaws remain in the legal system that result in injustices when it comes to conviction. I think the Innocence Project takes a lot of weight out of the correctional facilities and supports them, hopefully supports them enough anyways. More importantly, it seeks to improve the process by bringing to light any issues that come from wrongful convictions based on inaccurate evidence, or the lack thereof. What the site didn't mention was where the evidence came from, if it was new evidence, the type of DNA testing, how it proves the validity of the DNA tests, and what it adds to bolster the evidence gained, and whether or not these cases become highlighted to prevent future issues in the system. Can this increase a population of institutionalized people that have trouble adjusting to society or even have trouble getting back on their feet with time in prison behind them? I think it might also. JAY002
It is amazing that people served 14 years before being declared falsely convicted. The invalidated evidence in court trails could make a difference for many individuals as these will help free the many. This is very interesting that that due to the imprisonment this may increase their chances of going back as they don't have the means to support themselves. Eagle002
The Innocence Project is a group of people whose goal is to have people who have been wrongfully convicted or are sitting on death row, to be exonerated from prison with the help of post-conviction DNA testing. Their goal is not just to get the innocent people exonerated, but to also help find the real offenders that were getting away with their crimes by others being falsely convicted. The group is very interesting in the fact that they have the assets to both launch a separate investigation of their own to test the DNA that was either not presented in the original case or DNA testing wasn’t available which happens more than one would think. The Innocence Project are big advocates for essentially exposing the justice system for wrongly convicting innocent people which has been going on for years. When it comes to their actual testing process I wonder how valid the testing results they have been especially when 75% of wrongful convictions that have been overturned with the help from the project were due to eye witness testimonies being incorrect. All of these overturned convictions are further and further confirming that eye witness testimony is very hard to use as viable evidence because when something traumatic happens in a short span of time the brain makes it very hard to remember the situation clearly. Besides the fact, this project seems to have a positive reason for doing what they do and the main thing I pulled from this video was the average sentence for these falsely convicted people was 13 years, which if this project is as dedicated to exonerating the innocent as they claim, one would think it would take less than 13 years to prove someone’s innocence if they have the assets available to test the DNA on these particular cases. RM002
I agree with you on how this group is very interesting and it is very sad how many of these innocent people had to loose a chunk of their life because of something they never even did. You can't get those years back and it would be very hard to trust the criminal justice system after this. DNA is a huge role and most of the eye witnesses cases were wrong. CRC002
The Innocence Project greatly benefits the criminal justice system. They give the police and prosecutors better tools to catch the real assailants. Plus, laws are coming into place to make it harder for people to be convicted of a crime, which may seem like a bad thing, but it is better for a criminal to go free than for an innocent person to be convicted for a crime he/ she has not committed. The video showed innocent men who got sentenced to prison and ended up serving between 11- 20 years before being exonerated. In fact, according to the Innocence Project website, the 349 people the Innocence Project exonerated served an average of 14 years in prison. Twenty of those 349 people were on death row. The Innocence Project is fixing the holes in the criminal justice system. For example, there are now 18 states that have implemented comprehensive eyewitness identification reform. We know witnesses are not reliable. Our brain is not accurate when it comes to memory; human perception is sloppy. Our book mentions the Innocence Project and states that before the use of DNA, forensic evidence relied on the comparison of fibers, hairs, particles, and blood types. Samples that were the same blood type suggested the suspect might be the offender, but 100% certainty could not be proved. The Innocence Project works on cases in which people are convicted from unreliable methods. The Innocence Project also found 149 real perpetrators. I am surprised one of the men in the video got convicted based on his teeth; this does not establish beyond a reasonable doubt. A reliable forensic odontologist should have been contacted because he/ she could have profiled the offender and most likely ruled the innocent out. Forensic odontologists can figure out the characteristics of the offender including race and habits (like smoking or nail biting.) Scuba002
I agree in the aspect that more should be done to both exonerate people along with locking up the correct offenders. This should be looked into a lot deeper. RM002
The innocence project is important as people are a fault to error as we are being human beings or because of personal selfishness that each person may experience from different times in their lives or because them corrupts. This is hurtful to investigations as this creates false records within the criminal justice system which was an effect from one person to the next as people are factors of themselves as well as being factors of others. This also effects the ability of the police department or other agencies that created these false convictions which will ruin the reputation of that department or could make officers within that department demoted, terminated or unable to use evidence in court as they could be characterized as corrupt. As the video showed the impact this false imprisonment created such a change in these individual’s life as this people spoke lost family life, loved ones pasted away lost precious memories due to officers wanting promotions. Forensic DNA has claimed innocence for these individuals which helps the criminal justice system to prohibit these horrible mistakes from happening, by creating barriers in court to be able to catch the guilty and punish those who do harm to others. This can also much mental trouble in significant others that are close to the innocence person who was false convicted. This can, also turn the innocence person into an offender themselves as they are exposed to an environment that allows them to understand violence, criminal action, selfishness. This could if the person is released on parole after being convicted for a crime they didn’t convict cause them to seek out revenge against the individuals that locked them up for many years of their lives. This organization gives up too many people how have hit walls in terms of looking for help to set them free from injustice. DNA has helped law enforcement to be more effect in investigations but has also helped to set the innocent man free making a clear way to free those men and to also go after those who are responsible for committing these crimes that effected these many individual lives. Eagle002
I agree that this is very useful and important, providing the deserved freedom of those that are serving long sentences for no reason. Some of these victims of false imprisonment gave up after spending years in prison, being denied parole and generally having no hope of the free life that they deserve to have. The Innocence Project has done a lot of good for individuals such as these. gh_blackhawks002
It’s definitely heartbreaking to hear the horror stories of people serving 15 years or more in prison for crimes that they did not commit. The Innocence Project works on behalf of these people that get wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. The Innocence Project uses DNA testing to exonerate these wrongfully convicted persons and they are advocates for reform to prevent future wrongdoings and injustice. This does not only affect the persons that were falsely convicted, it directly involves the families that are torn apart in the process, seeing a family member serve year after year in prison for a crime that they did not commit. This project, founded in 1992, is working on behalf of these victims of injustice, using the latest DNA testing that was not available when they were convicted. This goes to show that the system does not, and cannot, get it right every single time. An innocent man or woman should never be convicted, though. It is better to let 100 guilty men go free than to lock up 1 innocent man. The system honestly wrecked the lives of these men for years and years. With DNA now being available, hopefully this issue will be resolved for the most part. I can’t imagine being in the shoes of some of those that served 15 years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit, but honestly, following that situation, I do not think I would ever have the same trust for the criminal justice system that I should be able to have. gh_blackhawks002
I agree with you that it is heartbreaking for innocent people to get locked up. The worst thing is for innocent people to be put on death row and executed, only for the system to later figure out that the man was innocent. With new technology emerging, the system can only improve. DNA testing is a very recent concept and they made numerous advancements with it to improve the system. Innocent people being convicted puts strain on the public’s trust of the criminal justice system, but the system is definitely getting better and is being run more fairly than the past. Scuba002
You're absolutely right. These people will never have full trust in the criminal justice system again. Law makers and officers are there to protect and serve the community to the best of our capabilities but how can we expect to preserve that trust when we let humungous errors like this occur. After spending an average of fourteen years in prison between all of the 349 exonerated inmates, you have to assume that their mentality has changed. A good portion of their lives they spent in a criminal school house with real convicts who did real crimes to deserve a place there. After clicking on a few of the personal cases, I realized that a great deal of these were handed false charges in the 80's. Luckily our ability to compare and test DNA has gotten better tenfold. Hootie002
There are so many people that have been innocent and have been sentenced to fifty years in prison. There have also been many stories of people that have done the crime and not getting convicted. It hurts seeing people not being able to see their families not being able to touch or do things with their families like normal humans. The Innocence Project works for the people that get wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. The Innocence Program started using DNA testing to prevent the wrong people from going to prison. The DNA testing helped eliminate people who might have been suspects of a crime. Wrong Convictions don’t only hurt the person but also the families and people around them. This program started in 1992 to help the people that were wrongly convicted because back then they didn’t have DNA. It was more of eye witness. As a family member and as the person that was wrongly convicted it just eats at you knowing that your innocent or your family member is innocent sitting in a prison. This all started to change when this Innocence Program started. I couldn’t imagine sitting in a jail cell for twenty years especially knowing that your innocent. IT would be hard to come out and have any trust for the criminal justice system. I couldn’t be in there for a week let alone twenty years. As a person you miss out on so much life which should have never been taken from those innocent people. I finally understand when Professor White says “It is better to let 100 guilty men go free then lock up one innocent man”. CRC002
I totally agree with you. It would be so hard to be in prison knowing I didn't do anything. And, that I am really innocent. The families that has people in prison for nothing i know would just destroy them. WS002
The Innocence project is a project that helps people who was falsely accused get their justice. Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck founded this programs because there were a lot of innocence people that were getting put behind bars and serving time for crimes they didn't do. The people were serving time because "eyewitness" were not properly sure if they seen what they actually seen. Which, caused innocence people to serve time. The program was designed to get actual DNA from the scene so they could get the person who did the crime. I feel like it would it is not fair for a witness could have so much power to put someone behind bars. The police shouldn't put someone to behind bars if they don't have the lawful evidence to do that. It states that 31 states has had people convicted for nothing at all. And, the people who are wrongly convicted serve up to 14 years in prison with no DNA stating that they did what eyewitness say they did. The Innocence project is working with congress ans state legislatures to pass laws so people can't be wrongly accused. The Innocence Project uses DNA testing to exonerate these wrongfully convicted persons and they are advocates for reform to prevent future wrongdoings and injustice. WS002
Sometimes the criminal justice system gets things wrong. This shouldn't happen, but it does. DNA gets switched or tests come back inconclusive, lab personnel gets lazy, and witnesses blame the wrong person. The Innocence Project helps those wrongly convicted to regain their freedom by doing further, and more precise testing than that previously done during the original trial. One of my favorite movies of all time is Shawshank Redemption, and there's a line in which Morgan Freeman's character says that there's not a single guilty man in the prison. This seems funny at first, but when you think about it there have been many cases of men and women being wrongly convicted. Spending their lives serving the time that another person is actually due, all the while their families are at home unsure whether or not their family members could actually do something like this. I can't imagine doing one year, let alone fifteen to twenty like some of these past prisoners. Especially knowing the entire time that they did not do it. Unfortunately once an inmate makes it into the prison system their case doesn't get looked at often. But, fortunately for the Innocence Project things are starting to change. New evidence is coming out into the open and people are being exonerated for the crimes they never committed. I wish the case files on some of these exonerated men and women would do an update, telling us what they're doing now and how being wrongly incarcerated for so long affected their lives. Hootie002
The Innocence Project works for the people that get wrongfully convicted and imprisoned.The video showed innocent men who got sentenced to prison and ended up serving between 11- 20 years before being exonerated. This does not only affect the persons that were falsely convicted, it directly involves the families that are torn apart in the process, seeing a family member serve year after year in prison for a crime that they did not commit. All of these overturned convictions are further and further confirming that eye witness testimony is very hard to use. Because today at work there was a working house fire and it was soon ruled as a arson because there was a witness who seen the suspect. We got the description of the suspect and we located a guy fitting that description but we did a show up and the witness said that, "that is the wrong guy". From our reasonable suspicion from talking with the subject. We almost arrested the wrong person. So using a eye witness statement can be tricky at times. This goes to show that the system does not, and cannot, get it right every single time. This project seems to have a positive reason for doing what they do.-NIKE002
The Innocence Project consists of a group that have a goal to exonerate people from prison who were wrongfully convicted, especially now that we have better DNA tests for evidence. They’re helping offenders that who got away with crimes, while the others are sitting in prison under a wrongful conviction. The Innocence Project expose how the criminal justice system isn’t the best and can wrongful convict innocent people and leave them in prison for years. The project is a positive way to help people in prison to go free, and help others go free with better DNA evidence. stlblues001,002
The Innocence program was something that needed to happen because so may people are wrongfully accused of doing a crime. Many people are sitting in jail or prison that are innocent and cant do anything about it because of a eye witness testimony that is shown can be wrong if the person is not used to the certain race that they convicted or if they were too far away from the scene, or if they simply just want someone to be convicted of the crime they committed so they start to feel better and cope with the action taken place against them. The Innocence program is there to help insure that the right people are being convicted and that there are not innocent people doing time. I couldn't imagine sitting in a cell for multiple years knowing that i am innocent. It is very hard for these innocent people to then trust others once they get out because they were wrongfully accused of something they did not do. bball002
I can't imagine the psychological damage sitting in jail for something you didn't do for years can cause a person. And if it were me after that many years of my freedom being taken away I'd start to believe I deserve it. And your family and community thinking the worst of you. I wish everyone could be involved in programs like this to help the innocent instead of just punishing the guilty. Thankfully with the use of DNA and it becoming easier to test and identify in multiple way more and more people will find their freedom. Marras002
The Innocence Project desperately shows why DNA proof is so much more important to a case versus eye witnesses or false confessions. We talk about in class how easy it is to group a certain type of people who look alike which is what happened to a couple people in this video and I'm sure several others who have been affected by this project. This project used DNA to prove the innocence of in this video these men who wrongfully spent several years in prison being denied parole and access to legal help to exonerate them. Without this project these men in the video and hundreds of others would still be sitting in prison for something they never did. They are seeking reform to our system and how we jump to conclusions and how much our legal system can still use changing. Life is not easy for the men after they get out of prison the project works with social workers to help the men get back on their feet. Spending so many years without freedom having lost time with family and friends and not working can be a culture shock to be released. The overwhelming relief they feel after being released is indescribable it's easy to see why people work so hard for these people and to free others. I'm glad something like this exists in our society and in our nation that is very happy to incarcerate anyone who admits fault or seems guilty. Marras002
The project aims, first, to exonerate people incarcerated that are seeking post-conviction DNA testing in order to prove their innocence, where there may have been a lack of pertinent data collected during trial that resulted in their conviction. Staff with the program closely evaluate each case and represent the person to conduct DNA testing that has worked for many clients already to exonerate innocent people. Considering the substantial amounts of people in prison, to include prisoners waiting on death row, I’d say that the project aims in the right direction. I am curious however, where the DNA testing is focused on. The site goes to tell that there are people that have been exonerated after serving up to 14 years…amazing that DNA testing would still be applicable, especially after some cases may be closed. With that also, then, the project also aims to bring to light flaws within legal system that focus on the inaccuracy of unvalidated evidence used in trial to convict.
ReplyDeleteIt’s no secret that flaws remain in the legal system that result in injustices when it comes to conviction. I think the Innocence Project takes a lot of weight out of the correctional facilities and supports them, hopefully supports them enough anyways. More importantly, it seeks to improve the process by bringing to light any issues that come from wrongful convictions based on inaccurate evidence, or the lack thereof. What the site didn't mention was where the evidence came from, if it was new evidence, the type of DNA testing, how it proves the validity of the DNA tests, and what it adds to bolster the evidence gained, and whether or not these cases become highlighted to prevent future issues in the system. Can this increase a population of institutionalized people that have trouble adjusting to society or even have trouble getting back on their feet with time in prison behind them? I think it might also. JAY002
It is amazing that people served 14 years before being declared falsely convicted. The invalidated evidence in court trails could make a difference for many individuals as these will help free the many. This is very interesting that that due to the imprisonment this may increase their chances of going back as they don't have the means to support themselves. Eagle002
DeleteThe Innocence Project is a group of people whose goal is to have people who have been wrongfully convicted or are sitting on death row, to be exonerated from prison with the help of post-conviction DNA testing. Their goal is not just to get the innocent people exonerated, but to also help find the real offenders that were getting away with their crimes by others being falsely convicted. The group is very interesting in the fact that they have the assets to both launch a separate investigation of their own to test the DNA that was either not presented in the original case or DNA testing wasn’t available which happens more than one would think. The Innocence Project are big advocates for essentially exposing the justice system for wrongly convicting innocent people which has been going on for years. When it comes to their actual testing process I wonder how valid the testing results they have been especially when 75% of wrongful convictions that have been overturned with the help from the project were due to eye witness testimonies being incorrect. All of these overturned convictions are further and further confirming that eye witness testimony is very hard to use as viable evidence because when something traumatic happens in a short span of time the brain makes it very hard to remember the situation clearly. Besides the fact, this project seems to have a positive reason for doing what they do and the main thing I pulled from this video was the average sentence for these falsely convicted people was 13 years, which if this project is as dedicated to exonerating the innocent as they claim, one would think it would take less than 13 years to prove someone’s innocence if they have the assets available to test the DNA on these particular cases. RM002
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on how this group is very interesting and it is very sad how many of these innocent people had to loose a chunk of their life because of something they never even did. You can't get those years back and it would be very hard to trust the criminal justice system after this. DNA is a huge role and most of the eye witnesses cases were wrong. CRC002
DeleteThe Innocence Project greatly benefits the criminal justice system. They give the police and prosecutors better tools to catch the real assailants. Plus, laws are coming into place to make it harder for people to be convicted of a crime, which may seem like a bad thing, but it is better for a criminal to go free than for an innocent person to be convicted for a crime he/ she has not committed. The video showed innocent men who got sentenced to prison and ended up serving between 11- 20 years before being exonerated. In fact, according to the Innocence Project website, the 349 people the Innocence Project exonerated served an average of 14 years in prison. Twenty of those 349 people were on death row. The Innocence Project is fixing the holes in the criminal justice system. For example, there are now 18 states that have implemented comprehensive eyewitness identification reform. We know witnesses are not reliable. Our brain is not accurate when it comes to memory; human perception is sloppy. Our book mentions the Innocence Project and states that before the use of DNA, forensic evidence relied on the comparison of fibers, hairs, particles, and blood types. Samples that were the same blood type suggested the suspect might be the offender, but 100% certainty could not be proved. The Innocence Project works on cases in which people are convicted from unreliable methods. The Innocence Project also found 149 real perpetrators. I am surprised one of the men in the video got convicted based on his teeth; this does not establish beyond a reasonable doubt. A reliable forensic odontologist should have been contacted because he/ she could have profiled the offender and most likely ruled the innocent out. Forensic odontologists can figure out the characteristics of the offender including race and habits (like smoking or nail biting.) Scuba002
ReplyDeleteI agree in the aspect that more should be done to both exonerate people along with locking up the correct offenders. This should be looked into a lot deeper. RM002
DeleteThe innocence project is important as people are a fault to error as we are being human beings or because of personal selfishness that each person may experience from different times in their lives or because them corrupts. This is hurtful to investigations as this creates false records within the criminal justice system which was an effect from one person to the next as people are factors of themselves as well as being factors of others. This also effects the ability of the police department or other agencies that created these false convictions which will ruin the reputation of that department or could make officers within that department demoted, terminated or unable to use evidence in court as they could be characterized as corrupt. As the video showed the impact this false imprisonment created such a change in these individual’s life as this people spoke lost family life, loved ones pasted away lost precious memories due to officers wanting promotions. Forensic DNA has claimed innocence for these individuals which helps the criminal justice system to prohibit these horrible mistakes from happening, by creating barriers in court to be able to catch the guilty and punish those who do harm to others. This can also much mental trouble in significant others that are close to the innocence person who was false convicted. This can, also turn the innocence person into an offender themselves as they are exposed to an environment that allows them to understand violence, criminal action, selfishness. This could if the person is released on parole after being convicted for a crime they didn’t convict cause them to seek out revenge against the individuals that locked them up for many years of their lives. This organization gives up too many people how have hit walls in terms of looking for help to set them free from injustice. DNA has helped law enforcement to be more effect in investigations but has also helped to set the innocent man free making a clear way to free those men and to also go after those who are responsible for committing these crimes that effected these many individual lives. Eagle002
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is very useful and important, providing the deserved freedom of those that are serving long sentences for no reason. Some of these victims of false imprisonment gave up after spending years in prison, being denied parole and generally having no hope of the free life that they deserve to have. The Innocence Project has done a lot of good for individuals such as these.
Deletegh_blackhawks002
It’s definitely heartbreaking to hear the horror stories of people serving 15 years or more in prison for crimes that they did not commit. The Innocence Project works on behalf of these people that get wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. The Innocence Project uses DNA testing to exonerate these wrongfully convicted persons and they are advocates for reform to prevent future wrongdoings and injustice. This does not only affect the persons that were falsely convicted, it directly involves the families that are torn apart in the process, seeing a family member serve year after year in prison for a crime that they did not commit. This project, founded in 1992, is working on behalf of these victims of injustice, using the latest DNA testing that was not available when they were convicted. This goes to show that the system does not, and cannot, get it right every single time. An innocent man or woman should never be convicted, though. It is better to let 100 guilty men go free than to lock up 1 innocent man. The system honestly wrecked the lives of these men for years and years. With DNA now being available, hopefully this issue will be resolved for the most part. I can’t imagine being in the shoes of some of those that served 15 years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit, but honestly, following that situation, I do not think I would ever have the same trust for the criminal justice system that I should be able to have.
ReplyDeletegh_blackhawks002
I agree with you that it is heartbreaking for innocent people to get locked up. The worst thing is for innocent people to be put on death row and executed, only for the system to later figure out that the man was innocent. With new technology emerging, the system can only improve. DNA testing is a very recent concept and they made numerous advancements with it to improve the system. Innocent people being convicted puts strain on the public’s trust of the criminal justice system, but the system is definitely getting better and is being run more fairly than the past. Scuba002
DeleteYou're absolutely right. These people will never have full trust in the criminal justice system again. Law makers and officers are there to protect and serve the community to the best of our capabilities but how can we expect to preserve that trust when we let humungous errors like this occur. After spending an average of fourteen years in prison between all of the 349 exonerated inmates, you have to assume that their mentality has changed. A good portion of their lives they spent in a criminal school house with real convicts who did real crimes to deserve a place there. After clicking on a few of the personal cases, I realized that a great deal of these were handed false charges in the 80's. Luckily our ability to compare and test DNA has gotten better tenfold.
DeleteHootie002
There are so many people that have been innocent and have been sentenced to fifty years in prison. There have also been many stories of people that have done the crime and not getting convicted. It hurts seeing people not being able to see their families not being able to touch or do things with their families like normal humans. The Innocence Project works for the people that get wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. The Innocence Program started using DNA testing to prevent the wrong people from going to prison. The DNA testing helped eliminate people who might have been suspects of a crime. Wrong Convictions don’t only hurt the person but also the families and people around them. This program started in 1992 to help the people that were wrongly convicted because back then they didn’t have DNA. It was more of eye witness. As a family member and as the person that was wrongly convicted it just eats at you knowing that your innocent or your family member is innocent sitting in a prison. This all started to change when this Innocence Program started. I couldn’t imagine sitting in a jail cell for twenty years especially knowing that your innocent. IT would be hard to come out and have any trust for the criminal justice system. I couldn’t be in there for a week let alone twenty years. As a person you miss out on so much life which should have never been taken from those innocent people. I finally understand when Professor White says “It is better to let 100 guilty men go free then lock up one innocent man”. CRC002
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. It would be so hard to be in prison knowing I didn't do anything. And, that I am really innocent. The families that has people in prison for nothing i know would just destroy them. WS002
DeleteThe Innocence project is a project that helps people who was falsely accused get their justice. Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck founded this programs because there were a lot of innocence people that were getting put behind bars and serving time for crimes they didn't do. The people were serving time because "eyewitness" were not properly sure if they seen what they actually seen. Which, caused innocence people to serve time. The program was designed to get actual DNA from the scene so they could get the person who did the crime. I feel like it would it is not fair for a witness could have so much power to put someone behind bars. The police shouldn't put someone to behind bars if they don't have the lawful evidence to do that. It states that 31 states has had people convicted for nothing at all. And, the people who are wrongly convicted serve up to 14 years in prison with no DNA stating that they did what eyewitness say they did. The Innocence project is working with congress ans state legislatures to pass laws so people can't be wrongly accused. The Innocence Project uses DNA testing to exonerate these wrongfully convicted persons and they are advocates for reform to prevent future wrongdoings and injustice. WS002
ReplyDeleteSometimes the criminal justice system gets things wrong. This shouldn't happen, but it does. DNA gets switched or tests come back inconclusive, lab personnel gets lazy, and witnesses blame the wrong person. The Innocence Project helps those wrongly convicted to regain their freedom by doing further, and more precise testing than that previously done during the original trial. One of my favorite movies of all time is Shawshank Redemption, and there's a line in which Morgan Freeman's character says that there's not a single guilty man in the prison. This seems funny at first, but when you think about it there have been many cases of men and women being wrongly convicted. Spending their lives serving the time that another person is actually due, all the while their families are at home unsure whether or not their family members could actually do something like this. I can't imagine doing one year, let alone fifteen to twenty like some of these past prisoners. Especially knowing the entire time that they did not do it. Unfortunately once an inmate makes it into the prison system their case doesn't get looked at often. But, fortunately for the Innocence Project things are starting to change. New evidence is coming out into the open and people are being exonerated for the crimes they never committed. I wish the case files on some of these exonerated men and women would do an update, telling us what they're doing now and how being wrongly incarcerated for so long affected their lives.
ReplyDeleteHootie002
The Innocence Project works for the people that get wrongfully convicted and imprisoned.The video showed innocent men who got sentenced to prison and ended up serving between 11- 20 years before being exonerated. This does not only affect the persons that were falsely convicted, it directly involves the families that are torn apart in the process, seeing a family member serve year after year in prison for a crime that they did not commit. All of these overturned convictions are further and further confirming that eye witness testimony is very hard to use. Because today at work there was a working house fire and it was soon ruled as a arson because there was a witness who seen the suspect. We got the description of the suspect and we located a guy fitting that description but we did a show up and the witness said that, "that is the wrong guy". From our reasonable suspicion from talking with the subject. We almost arrested the wrong person. So using a eye witness statement can be tricky at times. This goes to show that the system does not, and cannot, get it right every single time. This project seems to have a positive reason for doing what they do.-NIKE002
ReplyDeleteThe Innocence Project consists of a group that have a goal to exonerate people from prison who were wrongfully convicted, especially now that we have better DNA tests for evidence. They’re helping offenders that who got away with crimes, while the others are sitting in prison under a wrongful conviction.
ReplyDeleteThe Innocence Project expose how the criminal justice system isn’t the best and can wrongful convict innocent people and leave them in prison for years. The project is a positive way to help people in prison to go free, and help others go free with better DNA evidence. stlblues001,002
The Innocence program was something that needed to happen because so may people are wrongfully accused of doing a crime. Many people are sitting in jail or prison that are innocent and cant do anything about it because of a eye witness testimony that is shown can be wrong if the person is not used to the certain race that they convicted or if they were too far away from the scene, or if they simply just want someone to be convicted of the crime they committed so they start to feel better and cope with the action taken place against them. The Innocence program is there to help insure that the right people are being convicted and that there are not innocent people doing time. I couldn't imagine sitting in a cell for multiple years knowing that i am innocent. It is very hard for these innocent people to then trust others once they get out because they were wrongfully accused of something they did not do. bball002
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine the psychological damage sitting in jail for something you didn't do for years can cause a person. And if it were me after that many years of my freedom being taken away I'd start to believe I deserve it. And your family and community thinking the worst of you. I wish everyone could be involved in programs like this to help the innocent instead of just punishing the guilty. Thankfully with the use of DNA and it becoming easier to test and identify in multiple way more and more people will find their freedom. Marras002
DeleteThe Innocence Project desperately shows why DNA proof is so much more important to a case versus eye witnesses or false confessions. We talk about in class how easy it is to group a certain type of people who look alike which is what happened to a couple people in this video and I'm sure several others who have been affected by this project. This project used DNA to prove the innocence of in this video these men who wrongfully spent several years in prison being denied parole and access to legal help to exonerate them. Without this project these men in the video and hundreds of others would still be sitting in prison for something they never did. They are seeking reform to our system and how we jump to conclusions and how much our legal system can still use changing. Life is not easy for the men after they get out of prison the project works with social workers to help the men get back on their feet. Spending so many years without freedom having lost time with family and friends and not working can be a culture shock to be released. The overwhelming relief they feel after being released is indescribable it's easy to see why people work so hard for these people and to free others. I'm glad something like this exists in our society and in our nation that is very happy to incarcerate anyone who admits fault or seems guilty. Marras002
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