“They open the door, kick you out, and say, ‘Go’"

Abstract

Drawing on 24 in-depth semi-structured interviews with exonerees, this study explores the post-release experiences and struggles upon reentry. Findings highlight the urgent need to provide support to individuals who have been victimized by the very system that is supposed to protect their fundamental rights. It is essential that more customized holistic approaches be implemented to address the wide range of often-interrelated practical, social and psychological issues. Furthermore, services should be provided immediately upon release and be offered indefinitely as hardships often linger well after release. Ultimately, the goal of this paper is to encourage action toward comprehensive support after wrongful imprisonment.

“It’s Really Hard Making Up for All of that Lost Time”

“…Existing scholarship indicates that wrongful convictions continue to occur and create negative implications for society and those individuals who are wrongfully convicted (Forst, 2013;Huff & Killias, 2013;Norris et al, 2020;Shlosberg et al, 2020;Smith & Hattery, 2011;Weigand, 2009;Westervelt & Cook, 2012). The majority of attention is often given to experiences leading up to release from a wrongful conviction and fail to follow individuals long term to examine how being wrongfully convicted can impact individuals for many years after their release.…”

“…Some of the experiences that wrongfully convicted individuals encounter are similar to those of other individuals released from incarceration. They experience challenges of finding housing, reconnecting with loved ones, gaining employment, and managing trauma, all while attempting to reenter a community and society that may be drastically different than when they were first incarcerated (Alexander-Bloch et al, 2020;DeShay, 2016;Grounds, 2004;Scott, 2010;Shlosberg et al, 2020;Weigand, 2009;Westervelt & Cook, 2012).…”

“…Very little research focuses on the processes of reentering the community after serving time for a wrongful conviction (for an exception, see DeShay, 2016;Shlosberg et al, 2020;Westervelt & Cook 2012. Nonetheless, existing studies show that community reintegration after wrongful incarceration can be extremely difficult, as wrongfully convicted individuals are dealing with trauma and mental health issues produced by their wrongful incarceration (Alexander-Bloch et al, 2020;DeShay, 2016;Grounds, 2004;Scott, 2010), experience numerous barriers in their community reentry efforts (Shlosberg et al, 2020;Weigand, 2009), and often have access to fewer resources than individuals released on probation or parole (Westervelt & Cook, 2008). While these studies have been critically important to understanding how wrongfully convicted individuals experience community reentry, they often lack specificity due to a focus on the wide range of issues that wrongfully convicted individuals encounter.…”

Pain, suffering, and jury awards: A study of the cost of wrongful convictions

“…(Campbell & Denov, 2004). In addition, it has been noted that oftentimes the abruptness of being exonerated and let out of prison with no “prerelease” planning and postrelease support services might also make life more difficult upon release (Shlosberg et al., 2020).…”

“…Regardless of whether or not any employer bias exists, being out of the labor force for a period of time might reduce offender's employment skills and hence reduce productivity. Qualitative evidence based on extensive interviews with 24 exonerees found significantly reduced earnings and/or potential due to these factors (Shlosberg et al., 2020).…”