a total of 70 exonerations added 57 new exonerations & 13 newly discovered
2,000 Exonerations and Two Reports
Released this Morning
Exonerations in 2016 Download a copy of the Registry's Report on Exonerations in 2016.
Race and Wrongful Convictions Download a copy of the Registry's Special Report on race.
Race and Wrongful Convictions
Our Report on Race and Wrongful Convictions, released this morning, analyzes exonerations for murder, sexual assault, and drug crimes since 1989. Among other things, we found African-American prisoners who were convicted of murder are about 50 percent more likely to be innocent than other convicted murderers. Judging from exonerations, a black prisoner serving time for sexual assault is three-and-a-half times more likely to be innocent than a white person convicted of sexual assault. On average, innocent African Americans convicted of sexual assault spent almost four-and-a-half years longer in prison before exoneration than innocent whites. An infographic can be found here.
Another Record Year for Exonerations
Our 2016 Report details some of the interesting trends this year in exonerations, including a record number of exonerations from convictions as a result of guilty pleas. We also take a close look at both the expansion of Conviction Integrity Units, as well as the increasing number of exonerations for drug crimes - mostly due to the activity of the Harris County, Texas Conviction Review Unit. Below are some shareable infographics - you can save the image and then share on facebook, twitter, or other social media. More infographics can be found here.
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