Imprisoned But Innocent: Wrongful Convictions and Imprisonments in Germany, 1990-2016

Leuschner, Fredericke; Rettenberger, Martin; Dessecker, Axel

doi:10.1177/0011128719833355

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The past 20 years, however, has seen more research activity on causes than ever before, including interdisciplinary studies embracing differing perspectives on the phenomenon (see Loeffer et al, 2019). The most significant advancement has been the growth in causes research outside the United States; we now have substantial data on factors contributing to causing miscarriages in countries such as China (Jiang, 2016), Japan (Johnson, 2019) and Germany (Leuschner et al, 2020).…”

Section: Research On the Causes Of Miscarriages Of Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

The time in between a case of ‘wrongful’ and ‘rightful’ conviction in the UK: Miscarriages of justice and the contribution of psychology to reforming the police investigative process

Poyser

Milne

2021

International Journal of Police Science & Management

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Wrongful convictions or miscarriages of justice are experienced by justice systems worldwide. At the centre of each miscarriage lies a complex mix of causes. The contribution of the police investigative process and particularly the interview process, to this mix is, however, significant and enduring. Nevertheless, in the UK important inroads have been made with respect to reform in this regard. This has occurred partly in response to revelations of dreadful miscarriages of justice and the findings of ground-breaking psychological research. This research began in earnest in the 1970s, the decade when Noel Jones, a vulnerable young man falsely confessed to, and was wrongfully convicted of, the killing of schoolgirl Janet Commins. It has continued through to the second decade of the 21st century when following a case review, Stephen Hough was rightfully convicted of the same crime; the justice system acknowledging that the original police investigation was flawed and that Jones was ‘wholly exonerated’ (Evans, 2019). Taking these wrongful and rightful convictions as rough ‘start’ and ‘end’ points in time, this article critically examines the contribution of psychological research to bringing about reform of the investigative process and particularly the interview process, in the UK. In doing so, it argues that miscarriages of this nature are now less likely, but that further psychological research and policing reform are required to continue progress already made.

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Section: Research On the Causes Of Miscarriages Of Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

The time in between a case of ‘wrongful’ and ‘rightful’ conviction in the UK: Miscarriages of justice and the contribution of psychology to reforming the police investigative process

Poyser

Milne

2021

International Journal of Police Science & Management

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“…Professors Lena Zhong and Mengliang Dai, for example, have studied a set of 206 defendants wrongly convicted in China (Zhong & Dai 2018). In recent years, studies of exonerations have also been conducted in Japan ( Johnson 2015) and Germany (Leuschner et al 2019).…”

Section: Studies Of Exonerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wrongful Convictions

Garrett

2020

Annu. Rev. Criminol.

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In response to wrongful convictions, there has been a revolution in criminal procedure and research in law and science. This review seeks to summarize the cross-disciplinary explosion in work studying known wrongful convictions, examining their causes, and assessing policy reforms designed to help detect and prevent errors in criminal justice. Scholars have increasingly studied the characteristics of known wrongful-conviction cases, including by analyzing archival records and by creating public registries of exonerations. Scholars have conducted research in law, psychology, statistics, criminology, and other disciplines, as well as interdisciplinary research, designed to better understand the phenomenon of wrongful convictions and how to prevent errors. Scientific bodies, such as the National Academy of Sciences, have made important recommendations based on this research. Furthermore, the conversation is global, with litigation, research, and policy work across jurisdictions. A wide range of jurisdictions have adopted noteworthy changes designed to safeguard crucial types of evidence, such as confession, forensic, and eyewitness evidence, during police investigations and at trial. As a result, law and science have increasingly come together to produce tangible improvements to criminal justice.

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“…12,13 A recent overview of wrongful convictions in Germany found that false allegations, eyewitness misidentification, false confessions and incorrect expert testimony contributed to wrongful conviction. 14 In the UK, concern over miscarriages of justice led to the creation of an independent statutory body to investigate claims of miscarriages of justice – the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) was established in 1997. 15 In the USA, a non-profit organisation called the Innocence Project is committed to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing and, in 2019, reported that 362 people in the USA previously convicted of serious crimes had been exonerated since the founding of the project in 1992.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological impact of being wrongfully accused of criminal offences: A systematic literature review

Brooks

Greenberg

2020

Med Sci Law

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Being wrongfully accused of criminal offences can lead to serious negative consequences to those wrongfully accused and their families. However, there is little research on the psychological and psychosocial impacts of wrongful accusations. We conducted a systematic literature review to collate the existing literature, searching four electronic literature databases and reference lists of relevant articles. Data were extracted from 20 relevant papers, and thematic analysis was conducted on the data. Eight main themes were identified: loss of identity; stigma; psychological and physical health; relationships with others; attitudes towards the justice system; impact on finances and employment; traumatic experiences in custody; and adjustment difficulties. The psychological consequences of wrongful accusations appear to affect the lives of those accused seriously, even after exoneration or overturning of convictions. Strategies for improving public perception of wrongful convictions should be explored, and specific mental-health systems should be established to support those who are wrongfully accused.

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Imprisoned But Innocent: Wrongful Convictions and Imprisonments in Germany, 1990-2016

Cited by 10 publications

References 30 publications

The time in between a case of ‘wrongful’ and ‘rightful’ conviction in the UK: Miscarriages of justice and the contribution of psychology to reforming the police investigative process

The time in between a case of ‘wrongful’ and ‘rightful’ conviction in the UK: Miscarriages of justice and the contribution of psychology to reforming the police investigative process

Wrongful Convictions

Psychological impact of being wrongfully accused of criminal offences: A systematic literature review

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