20 Years Ago...
- 5 people had been exonerated through DNA testing
- No state had a DNA access law for prisoners with claims of innocence
- 11 states and the District of Columbia provided compensation to the wrongfully convicted
- 286 defendants received death sentences in 1992
- 1.3 million people were incarcerated
- Two legal organizations processed innocence claims in the U.S.
- $0 in federal funds were devoted to wrongful convictions
Today...
- 292 people have been exonerated through DNA testing, 17 of them served time on death row
- 49 states have a DNA access law
- Over half of the states provide compensation to the wrongfully convicted
- 78 defendants received death sentences in 2011
- 2.3 million people are incarcerated
- Over 60 legal organizations process innocence claims in the U.S.
- $5.5 million in federal funds are devoted to wrongful convictions