This Thanksgiving, four young men in Illinois have something big to be thankful for: their freedom. On November 16, a Chicago judge overturned the convictions set when the men were teens. They’ve spent years in prison, and DNA proves they didn’t commit the crime.Since 1989, there have been 280 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the United States. Nine of these were in California. Decades upon decades of lives have been lost based on various faults, including improperly handled or identified evidence: the second-greatest contributor to wrongful convictions.
Those of us handling property and evidence for our departments or institutions can help to end this madness by following all protocol and taking our jobs with seriousness, professionalism, and precaution. Together we can contribute to end this tragic cycle. For more information, read the in-depth overview on the Innocence Project website.
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