The strength of our criminal justice system depends on its ability to convict people who have committed crimes and to clear those who are innocent. However, people who are innocent are sometimes convicted of crimes committed by others or are found guilty even though a crime was not committed, such as when a fire with natural or accidental origins leads to an erroneous conviction for arson.??
Research findings funded by NIJ estimate the prevalence of wrongful conviction at less than 5% of all convictions. But the consequences in those instances can be devastating. By using science to learn more about wrongful convictions, we can further our understanding of the causes and consequences, identify ways to prevent these errors in the future, and address the needs of those who have been affected by erroneous convictions.
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