Wrongly Convicted: Perspectives on Failed Justice SYNOPSIS
The evidence that people are wrongly convicted in the American criminal justice system has been growing and is arguably a systemic problem. Westervelt and Humphrey (both in sociology, U. of North Carolina) present 14 essays that explore the causes and social characteristics of wrongful convictions, while also offering case studies and discussions of solutions to the problem. Among the topics explored are the role of informants, the reasons behind false confessions, police misconduct, racial bias , the effectiveness of counsel, and the death penalty.
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FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
An all-star set of contributors and clearly written essays make this a worthwhile addition to anti-death penalty literature. Sociology professors at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Westervelt (Shifting the Blame) and Humphrey take a practical approach to the topic. Essays in Part 1 show that eyewitnesses are often wrong, police trick suspects into making confessions, informants lie to gain benefits, and police can be incompetent or venal. Part 2 argues that those who are unpopular, uneducated, or members of a racial minority invite harsher treatment by authorities. The next section offers case studies on convictions that were wrongly obtained, followed by suggestions for changes in the criminal justice system, such as more active judges, an "innocence commission" to examine convictions, liberal use of DNA evidence, and better training for lawyers. The book is more accessible than contributor Hugo Adam Bedau's The Death Penalty in America (LJ 3/15/97), the standard work in the field, and more pragmatic than Austin Sarat's When the State Kills (LJ 4/1/01), which attacks the death penalty from a philosophical and moral perspective. This excellent introduction to a controversial topic is highly recommended. Harry Charles, Attorney at Law, St. Louis Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
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