Attorney General Kwame Raoul has established a Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) within the Attorney General’s office, a first of its kind in Illinois aimed to reassess convictions and ensure the accused have been justly served, according to an official release by the
Illinois Attorney General’s Office
. This move is designed to build confidence in the criminal justice system and right potential wrongs where individuals might be incarcerated for crimes they didn’t commit.
In Raoul’s vision, wrongful convictions compromise lives, undermine trust in the legal system, and pose a continued threat to public safety. “Wrongful convictions destroy lives, diminish faith in our criminal justice system, and put victims and the general public at risk, as true perpetrators of crimes are able to escape punishment,”
Raoul said
. The CIU will function in collaboration with local state’s attorneys, law enforcement, and other stakeholders to review and potentially remedy cases where new evidence suggests actual innocence.
Eligibility for the CIU’s services will be limited to specific parameters. Residents, currently incarcerated for a forcible felony conviction by an Illinois state court, can petition for their cases to be examined. The key stipulation is the presence of new, credible evidence pointing to “actual innocence,” meaning the individual must assert no role in the commission of the crime. The CIU’s investigation aims to dig deeper into these claims to decide if a conviction reversal or other relief is justified.
Once an application is submitted, the CIU will screen it to ensure it meets the eligibility criteria. A thorough evaluation follows, involving a full investigation to uncover if a miscarriage of justice indeed transpired. Raoul’s CIU intends to work closely with local prosecutors to verify the validity of claims and seek justice when necessary. However, cases currently on appeal or under the state’s attorney review for post-conviction won’t be eligible for the CIU assessment.
Furthermore, the CIU will take a proactive role in studying wrongful convictions to identify and address their causes, thereby preventing similar issues in the future. Information gathered through these investigations will feed into policy recommendations tailored to fortify the integrity of Illinois’s criminal justice framework. Application forms and more details regarding the CIU and its scope of work are now accessible in both English and Spanish through the Illionis Department of Corrections facilities or through Raoul’s office website.
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