After a 12-year legislative battle in Lansing that often became ensnared in partisan politics, Michigan has become the 31st state to provide financial compensation for the innocent who were wrongfully imprisoned by the criminal justice system.

The bill signed by Governor Rick Snyder on Wednesday afternoon will provide $50,000 per year incarcerated to those who are exonerated and gain their freedom.

On a national scale, Michigan should have been far ahead of the curve on this issue as only four other states have experienced more cases of wrongly convicted inmates over the past 25 years.  This new state law represents a victory for dozens of falsely incarcerated people, but the win also reflects the perseverance of Senator Steve Bieda, a former House member, who took on this issue starting in 2003. Over many years he wandered through the “tough-on crime” crowd in the House and Senate as he sought to distinguish “guilt” from “innocence”.

While lawmakers adhered to narratives played out in fictional TV dramas, people across Michigan were being convicted based on flimsy facts.  Those who were vindicated and released from prison provided “feel good” stories for the media, but their awkward re-entry into society often failed to match a story book ending.

“This is a justice issue with people denied their freedom,” said Bieda, a Warren Democrat. “These are people who have gone through hell and back.”

Advancements in DNA evidence played a major role in the series of exonerations. In addition, other basic instances of faulty evidence, including inaccurate facial identifications by so-called crime witnesses, also played a role.  But too many lawmakers could not fathom that inmates behind bars were entirely innocent, as these legislators assumed that the convicted “must have done something wrong.”

Perhaps the most infuriating aspect of this story is that, after having been cast aside by the legislature over several sessions, it suddenly received unanimous approval in the state Senate last June and then passed the House in December by a 104-2 margin.  Try explaining that multi-year chronology to the average voter–or those falsely imprisoned.

This is an excerpt of a column I wrote for Dome Magazine recently.

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