Losing a loved one to homicide is a trauma that most people will never have to experience. But for those who do, imagine how much their pain is compounded when the person imprisoned for the crime is later determined to have been wrongfully convicted. A new report by Professor Andrew Haile’s class at Northeastern University School of Law and the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute examines that issue.
The study, “When Justice Fails Twice,” recommends a series of actions Massachusetts prosecutors and legislators should take to better support survivors of victims in wrongful conviction cases. “Meaningful reform must center on survivors by prioritizing transparency, accountability, and respect at every stage of the legal process,” the report states. “Implementing these recommendations will move Massachusetts toward a more humane and trustworthy system that acknowledges harm, supports healing, and affirms that survivors are owed dignity, care, and justice.”
We are grateful to Professor Haile and his students, and to our partners at the Peace Institute, for exploring this important issue. We are thankful, also, to the families of several victims whose cases ended in wrongful convictions who took time to participate in the research and to speak to media afterward. And we thank the Boston Herald and reporter Colleen Cronin for covering this subject, to which the legal system has not devoted enough attention. You can read the Herald’s coverage here .
