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EXAMING THE EFFECT OF RACE ON WRONGFUL CONVICTION COMPENSATION

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Date Issued:
2022
Abstract/Description:
Wrongful convictions have occurred throughout the United States’, but it was not until the creation of the Innocence Project in 1992 that these cases were re-examined. Like other facets of the criminal justice system, racial disparities are present in exoneration research. Studies have found the rate of exoneration is slower for African Americans compared to other races and represent a disproportionate number of rape exonerations relative to their share of the population. Actual compensation is rarely included in analysis, because total compensation awarded has been a black box till now. This is the first study addressing these gaps, by calculating actual compensation for wrongfully convicted sexual assault exonerees and examine racial disparities between awarded compensation. Findings indicate African American exonerees receive significantly more, around $574,657, compared to white exonerees. Implications include evaluating interrogation techniques, updating DNA databases, testing forensic evidence, and calling for states and territories to have compensation statutes.
Title: EXAMING THE EFFECT OF RACE ON WRONGFUL CONVICTION COMPENSATION.
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Name(s): Albrecht, Emily R. , author
Dario, Lisa M. , Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
College of Social Work and Criminal Justice
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2022
Date Issued: 2022
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 64 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Wrongful convictions have occurred throughout the United States’, but it was not until the creation of the Innocence Project in 1992 that these cases were re-examined. Like other facets of the criminal justice system, racial disparities are present in exoneration research. Studies have found the rate of exoneration is slower for African Americans compared to other races and represent a disproportionate number of rape exonerations relative to their share of the population. Actual compensation is rarely included in analysis, because total compensation awarded has been a black box till now. This is the first study addressing these gaps, by calculating actual compensation for wrongfully convicted sexual assault exonerees and examine racial disparities between awarded compensation. Findings indicate African American exonerees receive significantly more, around $574,657, compared to white exonerees. Implications include evaluating interrogation techniques, updating DNA databases, testing forensic evidence, and calling for states and territories to have compensation statutes.
Identifier: FA00013910 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (MS)--Florida Atlantic University, 2022.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Wrongful convictions
Compensation for judicial error
Race
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013910
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.