Missouri lawmakers are currently discussing a new bill that could provide financial compensation to people who have been wrongfully imprisoned. The bill, Senate Bill 36, had its first hearing on January 22, 2025, in the Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee. If passed, the law would offer payment to individuals who have been exonerated after being wrongly convicted.
Under this bill, people who have been wrongly imprisoned could claim $179 for each day they spent in jail. However, there is a limit to how much a person can receive. The maximum amount someone could get in one year would be capped at $65,000. This payment would help exonerees, who often face challenges like finding housing, getting health care, and finding a job after being released from prison.
Supporters of the bill argue that there is currently little support for people who are wrongfully convicted, even after their innocence is proven. Tricia Rojo Bushnell, the executive director of the Midwest Innocence Project, spoke in favor of the bill. She shared a heartbreaking experience of walking someone out of prison and immediately sending them to a homeless shelter. “Exonerees get out of prison with no money, no job experience, no credit, no housing, no transportation, and no health insurance. This makes it hard for them to live a normal life,” Rojo Bushnell explained.
Wrongful convictions have been a significant issue in Missouri in recent years, with some high-profile cases grabbing attention. One example is Lamar Johnson, who spent 28 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He was released in 2023 after new evidence proved his innocence. Another case involved Kevin Strickland, who spent 43 years in prison before being exonerated in 2021. Strickland, who testified in support of the bill, explained how painful it was to lose so many years of his life. He shared his experience of being locked in a small space and having little control over his daily routine, saying it was a constant struggle.
Currently, people who are proven innocent through DNA evidence can receive compensation. However, this law does not apply to people like Strickland, who was freed after the only eyewitness in his case admitted she had been forced by the police to give false testimony. Strickland and other exonerees like him would benefit from this new bill, as it would expand compensation to all those proven innocent, not just those cleared through DNA evidence.
In 2023, a similar bill was included in a larger crime package. However, former Governor Mike Parson vetoed that bill, even though it had broad support. Parson argued that taxpayers shouldn’t be responsible for the mistakes made by local prosecutors. He said that prosecutorial errors should not lead to statewide financial burdens.
Despite the veto, supporters are hopeful that this new bill will pass. They believe it will offer justice to those who have suffered from wrongful imprisonment. It’s also seen as a way to provide people who have been exonerated with the resources they need to rebuild their lives and move forward.
(Source : stlpr.org)
