While wrongful convictions can happen anywhere, some states have exonerated more people than others. These four states and Washington, D.C. have the highest exoneration rates.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. has a reputation for wrongful convictions. Prisoners in the district have lost more years of life than anywhere else in the country, and Washington, D.C. also has an above-average exoneration rate. Here are the details about the district’s exonerations:
- Scaled Score: 100 points
- Washington, D.C. has had 28 exonerations since 1989.
- Washington, D.C. had the highest average lost years per case at 15.35 years.
- Washington, D.C. had the second-highest number of years lost per 1,000 prisoners at 79.8 years.
Washington, D.C. has a high number of exonerations and a high number of lost years in part because the justice system is especially complicated in our nation’s capital.
Under the District Clause of the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17), the U.S. Congress has a high level of authority over local affairs in Washington, D.C. And Congress has refused to confirm judges in local superior courts. This has resulted in a shortage of judges, more pressure to hear cases quickly and longer waits for exoneration.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts is a close second to Washington, D.C. when it comes to exonerations for wrongful convictions. Here is the data you need to know about the state:
- Scaled Score: 96.91
- Massachusetts has had 93 exonerations since 1989, which puts it at number 10 on the list of the states with the most exonerations.
- The average lost years per case is 13.2 in Massachusetts, the fifth-highest average among all U.S. states.
- There are 76.75 lost years per 1,000 prisoners in Massachusetts, which is the third-highest among the states.
Despite its high rates of wrongful conviction, Massachusetts has historically capped compensation for the wrongfully convicted. In recent years, efforts have been made to remove these limitations and provide immediate assistance to exonerated persons upon release from incarceration.
New York
New York is third on the list of states with a high number of exonerations. Here’s the data on how many people have been exonerated, as well as the years of life those individuals lost due to a wrongful conviction.
- Scaled Score: 93.27
- New York has had 374 exonerations since 1989, which is the third-highest number in the country.
- The wrongfully convicted have lost an average of 10.74 years in New York—the 12th-highest number of years lost in the country.
- There were a total of 67.2 years lost per 1,000 prisoners in New York.
While New York has a lower total score than Washington, D.C. or Massachusetts, it’s actually been the site of a higher number of exonerations. Only two states had more exonerations since 1989—Texas and Illinois.
New York lawmakers proposed a bill, the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act, in response to New York’s rate of wrongful convictions. The bill was vetoed by the governor in December of 2023 and therefore did not become law. The act would have allowed people to overturn wrongful convictions even after pleading guilty. It would have also provided the right to postconviction discovery and removed procedural roadblocks to relief.
Connecticut
Connecticut ranks 22nd in the total number of exonerations, but it’s among the top 5 states in total years lost per prisoner as well as in the average years lost per case. Here’s how Connecticut compares to other states:
- Scaled Score: 92.38
- Connecticut has had 42 exonerations since 1989.
- The average lost years per case in Connecticut is 12.79.
- The amount of years lost per 1,000 prisoners totaled 44.18 in Connecticut.
In the New Haven area alone, Connecticut has awarded close to $40 million in compensation for wrongful convictions. Activists warn there could be many more wrongful convictions uncovered as advocacy groups have found a disturbing history of court records and cases in which the prosecution failed to provide the defense with exculpatory evidence.
Louisiana
Louisiana has the highest number of average years lost per exoneration case of any state in the U.S., although Louisiana ranks only ninth in terms of total number of exonerations. Here’s the data you need to know about wrongful convictions and exonerations in Louisiana.
- Scaled Score: 90.29
- Louisiana has had 94 exonerations since 1989.
- The average lost years per case was 16.08 in Louisiana, which is the highest in the country.
- There were an average of 29.92 years lost per 1,000 prisoners in Louisiana.
Louisiana lawmakers approved an Innocence Compensation Fund in 2005 in light of the high levels of wrongful convictions in the state. However, some activists have expressed concern in recent years that some officials are fighting to avoid paying out compensation as part of a stance that’s tough on crime.