BOOKS: The Innocence Commission

The Innocence Commission, a new book by Jon B. Gould, describes how the advent of DNA testing and other forensic advances in the criminal justice system have led to serious efforts to understand how so many wrongful convictions have happened. In particular, The Innocence Commission details the first years of the Innocence Commission for Virginia (ICVA), which was the first in the country to conduct systemic research into all wrongful convictions in the state. Gould, the Chair of ICVA, examines twelve cases of wrongful conviction in Virginia, including one death penalty case, pointing out the instances where the wrongful conviction could have been avoided and offering suggestions on how to prevent such mistakes in the future. Ultimately, Gould concludes, innocence commissions are necessary in every state to ascertain where weaknesses in the system exist and to offer feasible solutions.

The Library Journal writes that The Innocence Commission is “A thoughtful and disturbing account of his founding in 2003 of the Innocence Commission for Virginia (ICVA) to investigate wrongful convictions… . Written for the general public, Gould’s book has important lessons for attorneys and policymakers as well.”

(The Innocence Commission: Preventing Wrongful Convictions and Restoring the Criminal Justice System, by Jon B. Gould, NYU Press, 2008). See Innocence and Books. -Posted March 4, 2008.