Innocence Blog

After Exoneration

Posted: April 20, 2009 3:52 pm

When wrongfully convicted individuals are cleared and released, the media and the public usually takes notice of the injustice they suffered. On the day of their release, promises of help pour in. But in the months and years after exoneration, the attention fades. Exonerees struggle to rebuild lives interrupted by injustice, sometimes without the support of family or friends.

The lead story yesterday on CBS News “Sunday Morning” explores life after exoneration and the difficulties faced by the wrongfully convicted.

“The minute you’re falsely accused, your life is gone,” says Beverly Monroe in the CBS piece. “Your life as you know it will never be the same. You lose everything that you had in a normal life. For me it was house, job, career, income, separation from my family. You lose all of those normal basics.”

Monroe served eight years in prison before she was cleared, and was 62 years old when she was released.

In addition to Beverly Monroe’s case, the CBS report visits the cases of Innocence Project clients Larry Peterson and Thomas McGowan.

Watch the full CBS video here.