State lawmakers poised to revisit compensation bill for wrongly convicted Georgians

Kerry Robinson is one Georgian currently receiving restitution for a wrongful conviction through an ad hoc legislative process that critics have long described as inefficient and inconsistent. (Photo courtesy of Georgia Innocence Project)

The harsh reality for many wrongly convicted Georgians is that after spending decades locked away by the state, they are released without a financial safety net of any kind. So, getting absolved of guilt provides only a bit of solace. 

Thirty-five states, the federal government, and Washington, D.C., maintain laws establishing a fair and efficient compensation process for people who were wrongfully convicted of crimes and sent to prison. 

About 4% of all death penalties in the country were imposed on innocent people from 1973 to 2004. Georgia has exonerated 48 people since 1989, according to the National Registry of Exoneration Cases.