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Abstract: 

The first author of this article, Jennifer Thompson, is the founder of Healing Justice, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting crime victims whose perpetrators were exonerated of their crime post-conviction. Along with her co-author, Healing Justice staff person Natalia Aguirre, Ms. Thompson explains the intricacies of post-conviction exoneration, portraying its enormous psychological impacts both on the one who was falsely convicted and on the victim whose shattered life feels as though it is being demolished once again. Great numbers of survivors in post-conviction exoneration cases feel abandoned by the criminal justice system; they experience being left out in the dark, unmoored, with little if any support. As the authors observe, in cases of false conviction, everyone gets hurt, including the victim. Healing Justice works to fill in the gaps left by a justice system that focuses primarily on restoring justice to the falsely accused while neglecting the equally compelling needs of vulnerable survivors.

Keywords: Post-Conviction Exonerations; Post-Conviction Survivor Services

Affiliations:  1: Healing Justice; 2: Healing Justice.