A New Jersey lawmaker is looking to create a commission that studies and reviews wrongful convictions in the state.
State Sen. Joe Pennacchio is calling for support on his bill to create an Innocence Study and Review commission to reduce wrongful convictions.
People who are wrongfully convicted of a crime in New Jersey spend an average of 10 years in prison before they are exonerated, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.
New Jersey resident AJ Nash was exonerated in 2013 after he was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault.
“It’s very difficult,” Nash says. “They took 10 years of my life I can’t get back.”
The commission would look at the causes of false convictions and the best practices to prevent them. It would also look at fair compensations for victims.