Life after exoneration; is the worst yet to come?

The workshop addresses the significant amount of confirmed miscarriages of justice over the past decades. Additionally, exhaustive databases on miscarriages of justice have provided valuable data on the causes and details of wrongful convictions. However, the legal framework for exonerations remains complex, leading to underestimations of wrongful convictions due to a lack of post-conviction relief.

The meeting focuses on the limited attention given to the consequences of exonerations. Wrongfully imprisoned individuals face incomprehensible social, emotional, and economic challenges, which may be further exacerbated after exoneration. Few support services are available for exonerees, and there is a lack of societal understanding of their needs. This is evident in the limited research on how society and legal professionals perceive exonerees and their experiences. These shortcomings also apply to others affected by wrongful convictions, including family members of wrongfully convicted individuals, victims of the crime in which a wrongful conviction took place, defense attorneys, jurors, post-conviction legal support providers etc.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain In-Depth Understanding: Participants will acquire a comprehensive understanding of the alarming numbers of miscarriages of justice, and the emerging or lack of support systems for people affected by wrongful convictions in various countries.
• Analyze Legal Frameworks: The meeting will encourage participants to analyze and compare the complexities of legal frameworks, in both adversarial and inquisitorial criminal justice systems, for exonerations. Participants will discuss potential reforms and improvements.
• Examine Consequences of Exonerations: Experts will explore the far-reaching consequences of wrongful convictions and how they affect exonerees’ social, emotional, and economic well-being, particularly after exoneration, as well as consequences and support needs for their social network.
• Identify Gaps in Support: The meeting will highlight the stigma associated with exoneration and the lack of societal understanding regarding the needs of exonerees.
• Promote Research and Knowledge Exchange: Participants will be encouraged to discuss the need for further research on experiences in the wake of wrongful convictions and exonerations, and how society and legal professionals perceive and respond to their needs.
• Foster Collaborative Solutions: The meeting aims to facilitate collaboration among legal decision-makers, psychologists, criminologists, and society to improve the overall experience of exonerees and address the challenges they face post-exoneration in specific working groups.
• Develop Best Practices: Experts will work together to identify and formulate best practices for supporting exonerees and others affected and mitigating the adverse effects of wrongful convictions, both during and after exoneration.