Illinois AG Kwame Raoul launches statewide initiative to prevent wrongful convictions

CHICAGO ( WGN ) — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul introduced a new statewide initiative on Tuesday to prevent the 'devastation of wrongful convictions' across the state.

The Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) aims to help those who believe they were sentenced for a crime they didn't commit.

"Wrongful convictions destroy lives," Raoul said. "Wrongful convictions diminish faith in our criminal justice system. They put victims at risk by allowing the true predators to escape unpunished."

Cook County State's Attorney-elect Eileen O'Neill Burke also spoke Tuesday about the effects of wrongful convictions.

"If we have convictions that are invalid, it erodes everybody's confidence in the justice system," she said.

Lauren Kaeseberg, with the Illinois Innocence Project, says that the nonprofit has helped secure exonerations for 25 people in the state.

"Thousands of people in Illinois, as we sit here, who are innocent and don't belong in prison, I think today's news is like a big step in getting them some justice," Kaeseberg said.

Kaeseberg added that she hopes the new push will help more people clear their names after spending decades behind bars for crimes they didn't commit.

"You cannot undo a wrongful conviction for an innocent person without there being a group of dedicated people who want to get to the truth, so we need resources to do that," she added.

The Kane County State's Attorney recognizes the need for this initiative, as her office lacks the resources to review convictions independently. She says they have received numerous requests to revisit past cases, highlighting the importance of the new unit in handling these challenges.

"To have a group of [experts] who can say, 'Yes, it was done right or no, there was a miscarriage of justice,' is exactly what we need in the criminal justice system," said Jaime Mosser, Kane County State's Attorney.

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To be eligible, the applicant must meet five criteria, such as being incarcerated for the offense they claim to be factually innocent of, being convicted of forcible felony involving physical force or violence such as murder or criminal sexual assault, or having newly discovered, credible evidence supporting the claim of innocence.

"Mistakes are made," Raoul said. "So, we have all the interest of getting things right."