Why Innocent People Go to Prison - An Introduction
As alarming as it sounds, innocent people get convicted of crimes all the time…
According to the Innocence Project, the most common reason for false conviction is eyewitness misidentifications. 69% of the DNA exonerations nationwide contained some aspect of incorrect identification. Many factors like stress, anxiety, lack of time to fully observe, poor vantage points, and cross-racial identifications played a role.
Studies show that people are notoriously inaccurate at identifying strangers who are not of their same race. This inability to make cross-racial identifications is not associated with racism. Rather, it’s how our brains are wired from youth to help us identify our family groups.
Another common reason for wrongful convictions is an over reliance on discredited or deemphasized forensic sciences. Sometimes called “junk science” these non-reliable forensic disciplines are responsible for a large but unquantifiable number of wrongful convictions. Although innocence projects and conviction integrity units around the country are beginning to review old cases for junk science convictions, there is no nationwide program taking a closer look to make sure the criminal justice system convicted the right person in each case. Some examples of so-called junk science include bite mark evidence, shaken baby syndrome, polygraphs, tire treads, and microscopic hair comparisons.
Misconduct from officials also causes innocent people to get convicted of crimes they didn’t commit. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, misconduct was a factor in 79% of DNA exoneration cases involving homicide in 2018. Misconduct is a broad category and can include instances of coerced false confessions, the withholding of exculpatory evidence, fabricated evidence, and inadequate legal representation from a public defender.
False accusations from so-called “snitch testimony” were present in about 15% of DNA exoneration cases nationwide according to the Innocence Project. Snitch testimony often comes from criminals or criminal defendants. Such informants have been known to supply false information in exchange for beneficial treatment in the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, the falsity of these accusations were missed by juries, leading to convictions of many innocent people.
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