Wronged Twice

Editorial here. Robert Dewey was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 16 years in jail. Apparently, the state of Colorado has no laws that require compensation. In fact, he was released without even minimal cash or shelter. Just released. Men, of course, are more likely than women to be accused and convicted of a crime. Excerpt:

'The result — and it's a rare one — could be that someone is falsely imprisoned. When that happens, we think the state has a duty to compensate the individual.

Such is the case with Robert Dewey, incarcerated in Colorado for 16 years for a murder he didn't commit. There was no prosecutorial misconduct or other malfeasance. The system just ended up with the wrong man, as recently proven with DNA evidence.

Until that time, Dewey was a lifer. There was no point in teaching him job skills — he was never getting out. He also sustained a painful back injury in prison that still impedes his ability to do manual labor.

Upon his release in April, he left without even the minimal cash and shelter offered to those convicted and who have done their time.'