(From Dream Corps) The conviction and incarceration of innocent people is a serious and widespread problem. As of the end of 2021, nearly 3,000 wrongfully convicted and unjustly imprisoned individuals have been exonerated since The National Registry of Exonerations began tracking in 1989.
Did you know that false testimony is the leading contributing factor in the criminal convictions of innocent people? Informants, who may be currently incarcerated or facing possible criminal charges, are incentivized to provide testimony against a suspect in exchange for various benefits — such as leniency in their own case or even monetary benefits.
That’s why Dream Corps JUSTICE is working alongside Empathy Network Leader and Director of Community Outreach and Engagement at Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, ML Smith, and an incredible coalition of activists, organizations, and state lawmakers to pass the Informant Reliability Act, otherwise known as HB 2523.
This bipartisan piece of legislation will establish checks and balances to vet the integrity of informant testimony. The Informant Reliability Act aims to reduce wrongful convictions based on perjury and false accusations, the primary factor in 60% of all exonerations.
Every time an innocent person is sent to prison, our justice system fails to live up to its name. Sign Dream Corps JUSTICE’s petition and tell Missouri lawmakers support HB 2523 and bring #MoInnocence to Missouri!
