Essay On Exonerees

Around 2 million Americans are currently residing in the jail system; around 5% of those inmates are believed to be innocent. With an estimate of around 230,000 innocent people currently living within the prison system, little action is taken to right these wrongs and assist them. The wrongfully accused often have little to no resources to aid them and they are stuck in prison for a crime they did not commit. These people face physical and mental abuse in prison alongside disbelief from those around them as they try to convince people of their innocence. Prisoners who are falsely accused faced impacts on both their mental and physical health. They often face challenging scenarios coupled with the fact that they are aware of their innocence

Despite being exonerated, many victims of the prison systems face prejudice and anger from their peers and even from their family members. Even if there is no anger, there still may be a sense of shame which can affect an exoneree. To make matters worse, there are very few programs to help exonerees, unlike with felons who receive a wide variety of assistance from housing to cash aid. Exonerees have to face the harsh critics of the outside world while having to struggle to survive as “they don’t qualify for the programs designed to serve ex-felons” (Pishko). They have to fight tooth and nail to acquire stable work to support themselves and their families. Willie Donald is an example of one exoneree who has “had trouble finding jobs and is currently working as a janitor” (Baker). Donald was arrested in 1992 and served 24 years in prison for an armed robbery he did not commit. Even though Donald was nowhere near the area where the crime was committed and looked nothing like the suspect the witness described, he was found guilty. Donald has had to deal with prejudice and bias while he attempts to keep himself afloat with no assistance from the country that told him he was guilty. While there are some programs that provide financial aid for exonerees, they are often very picky and many people who apply are rejected. Exonerees and falsely accused

It is essential that more research is done on the subject and how to better support them. More research can lead to a wider knowledge on how to help exonerees and to provide them with the support they need to overcome the struggles they face when they are released. It can also help decrease the stigma that many exonerees face and provide them with a better support system. A support system could provide more security and a heightened sense of safety. It also could provide exonerees with a way to financially support themselves and also to possibly erase their arrest history. This could be important when they are looking for a job so they can avoid the questioning from future employers who can still see the arrest on their record. A criminal record could hinder their opportunities of employment and other future prospects. It is essential to assist these people and make the transition from prison life to the real world smoother and not as