Introduction

Chester Hollman spent 28 years in jail for a crime he clearly did not commit.  Wrongfully convicted of robbery and homicide, he lost 28 years of his life and freedom in prison (Roebuck).  He has a chance to rebuild his life after a court overturned his conviction last year.  After learning about Chester Hollman and several others who faced wrongful convictions in the criminal justice system, I was shocked that this occurs and impacts the lives of people in Pennsylvania, as well as throughout the United States.  I felt stunned and confused about this wrongful conviction.  As a white female growing up in a suburban area, I have not given much thought about crime, the justice system, and what happens to all of the people involved.  

As I write this blog, I cannot even begin to imagine how the exonerees felt throughout their wrongful conviction, imprisonment, and release, knowing that they were truly innocent throughout the entire process.  According to the journal article, “Psychological impact of being wrongfully accused of criminal offenses: A systematic literature review,” in 2019, 362 people in the United States were exonerated since the founding of the Innocence Project in 1992 (Brooks).  Even though people who are wrongfully convicted are exonerated every year, they continue to struggle with psychological barriers and difficulties throughout their lives.  In this blog post, I will explore the various obstacles and psychological impacts of being wrongfully convicted.  

The Mental Struggle

Initially, the wrongfully convicted struggle with the idea that they know they are innocent.  One would think that most prisoners who are sentenced to prison for the act or crime they committed eventually come to accept that they are there for a reason and that any sense of doubt as to why they are there fades over time.  People who are wrongfully convicted know they are innocent and not true criminals.  They are unable to personally resolve the idea that they are in prison for no reason.  In the article, “‘It Never, Ever Ends’: The Psychological Impact of Wrongful Conviction,” “…the wrongly accused persons experience feelings of shock and disbelief as if the arrest is a big mistake that will be soon be corrected,” because they cannot understand why this has happened to them (Scott).  Typically, these people are normal people who found themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time, and the injustice of the criminal justice system caused their wrongful conviction and imprisonment.  Because these people do not have a criminal mentality compared to other prisoners, their experience in prison is terribly difficult, which makes the stresses and trauma of prison life much worse.

Losing Sense of Self

After wrongful conviction and being in prison, people who are wrongfully convicted experience personality changes, including being paranoid, anxious, less confident in themselves, and more.  These personality changes were caused by the stress, confusion, and chaos that came along with being incarcerated while they are truly innocent.  In addition to personality changes, people who are wrongfully convicted feel like they have lost their dignity and credibility as a person as well as not being able to see their purpose in life.  Because of their personality changes and various losses, those wrongfully convicted feel like they have lost who they were before they were accused of committing the crime or illegal act.  After being released, many exonerees have a hard time finding themselves again after the traumatic experiences of wrongful imprisonment.

Damage to Psychological and Physical Health

Due to wrongful conviction and imprisonment, many exonerees face extreme mental health problems affecting them after their release and return to normal life, especially negative emotions of feelings of loss, hopelessness, anger, fear, and a loss of freedom.  Exonerees experience many symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts while being imprisoned as well as various anxiety and panic disorders due to the high level of stress during incarceration.  In addition to these conditions, many people who are wrongfully imprisoned deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and problems sleeping, including insomnia, nightmares, and sleeplessness.  This is particularly prominent after exonerees are released due to their traumatic and horrible experiences throughout the processes of conviction and imprisonment.  In addition to more serious conditions, many people felt exhausted, worn out, and stressed that others would not believe them throughout their exoneration process.  Due to their mental compression, many exonerees also experienced physical problems, including high blood pressure, weight gain or loss, nausea, and alcohol or drug dependency or misuse.

Analysis and Conclusion

Because of their conviction and imprisonment, exonerees struggle with psychological stress and trauma as well as physical problems long after they are released from prison.  According to the article, “‘It Never, Ever Ends’: The Psychological Impact of Wrongful Conviction,” even those who are wrongfully convicted and serve a short time in prison suffer from this psychological and physical damage (Scott).  I believe that all states throughout the United States should implement a re-entrance to society program for exonerees by providing the necessary resources, ongoing support, and possible compensation for lost time during imprisonment.  Being imprisoned for several years of their lives makes it more difficult for exonerees to get back on their feet, recover from the trauma caused by their incarceration, and return back to their past self before imprisonment.  With the addition of a nationwide re-entry program for exonerees and a close examination of the current criminal justice system, exonerees across the country may begin to find inner peace with their pasts and move forward with their lives.

Works Cited

Brooks, Samantha K., and Neil Greenberg. “Psychological Impact of Being Wrongfully Accused of Criminal Offences: A Systematic Literature Review.” Medicine, Science and the Law, vol. 61, no. 1, 17 Aug. 2020, pp. 44-54, https://doi.org/10.1177/0025802420949069.

Roebuck, Jeremy. “Philly to pay $9.8M to man exonerated who spent 28 years in prison after wrongful conviction for murder.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2022, http://www.inquirer.com/news/chester-hollman-settlement-philly-exoneration-lawsuit-netflix-undisclosed-20201230.html. Accessed 27 Jan. 2022.

Scott, Leslie. “It Never, Ever Ends”: The Psychological Impact of Wrongful Conviction ” American University Criminal Law Brief 5, no. 2 (2010):10-22.