Correctional Systems: Wrongful Convictions in the United States, Research Paper Example

Advances in science and technology, especially in the area of DNA, have demonstrated that it is not uncommon for individuals to be wrongfully convicted of a crime in the United States.  The Innocence Project, based at Yeshiva University, reports that as of June 29, 2011, they have successfully cleared 272 people of criminal charges, including 17 people who were on death row (The Innocence Project, 2011).  While these numbers may be statistically insignificant, given the  large number of people currently imprisoned in the United States, even a single person convicted of a crime they did not commit represents a failure of the justice system.  A survey of criminal justice professionals conducted in 1996 by Ronald Huff estimated that “almost 10 000 people in the United States may be wrongfully convicted of serious crimes each year” (Spring, 2011).  Improvements in DNA testing and an increased public awareness of wrongful convictions in the fifteen years since Huff’s survey would suggest that that number may now be even higher.

Public perception of the role played by the criminal justice system in wrongful convictions may do a disservice to the system itself, which is overburdened by legislative and funding issues which may impede its ability to provide adequate protections to individuals accused of crimes.  However, until the public can see criminal justice professionals taking steps to prevent wrongful accusations, it’s difficult to expect the general public to feel that such a system has their best interests, and safety, at heart.  Both Huff’s survey and the findings of the Innocence project suggest that eyewitness error plays a major role in wrongful convictions (The Innocence Project, 2011, Spring, 2011).  This would suggest that we may avoid placing innocent people in prison by taking more care in the early stages of investigations and work towards becoming less reliant on witness identifications in the prosecution of such crimes.

References

The Innocence Project. (2011). Facts of post-conviction DNA exonerations. Retrieved from    http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/Facts_on_PostConviction_DNA_Exonerations.php

Spring, T. (2011). 10 000 innocent people convicted each year, study estimates. Ohio State University. Retrieved from http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/ronhuff.htm