Description
Book SynopsisShows how and why wrongful convictions occur, what steps legal and state advocates took to investigate the convictions, how these prisoners were ultimately freed, and what lessons can be learned from their experiences.
Trade ReviewDiscusses how reformers might capitalize on the so-called innocence issue of advance criminal justice reforms designed to safeguard against conviction of the innocent. * Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology *
&8220;A masterpiece of the genre. . . . Few other books about wrongful conviction phenomenon have even attempted such a combination of legal theory and details from real-life wrongful conviction cases. . . . Goulds book has spawned a number of new thoughts about wrongful convictions. * Legal Times *
The lessons learned in creating the ICVA are valuable to policymakers, activists, and lawyers on both sides of the docket. * Law and Politics Book Review *
A thoughtful and disturbing account of his founding in 2003 of the Innocence Commission for Virginia (ICVA) to investigate wrongful convictions. . . . Written for the general public, Goulds book has important lessons for attorneys and policymakers as well. * Library Journal *
The book is extremely well written and should serve not only to motivate people to want reform but also to instruct them on how to proceed in the direction of reform. Highly recommended. * Choice *
The Innocence Commission adds to the scholarship in the area of wrongful convictions in several important ways and with riveting case descriptions. -- Daniel S. Medwed,University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law
Gould . . . has produced a book that will ensure that the lessons from these wrongful convictions are available for study and, we hope, remembered and used to enact needed reforms…this book is a valuable addition to what we are learning about wrongful convictions. * The Kojo Nnamdi Show, WAMU-FM *
A welcome addition to the literature on the incarceration of people who never committed the crime for which they were charged. * Trial *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction 1 History and Background 2 The Innocence Commission for Virginia 3 The Cases 4 An Unmet Obligation 5 Putting It All Together Appendixes Notes Index About the Author
