Week 7, Entry 1: How much is 29 years of your life worth?

In May, 2010 Ray Towler was released from prison after serving 29 years for a crime he didn’t commit. We know that Mr. Towler was innocent because DNA testing proved that he was not guilty and now he stands to gain at least a $1.4 million dollar settlement plus his lost wages. Some might say this is fair, but is it? How much is 29 years of one’s life worth? How about the trauma and oppression of being locked up as a violent criminal? What about the damage to reputation? How does one find a job after 29 years of being involuntarily unemployed?

Raymond Towler freed after 29 years in prison for rape he did not commit

By no means do I advocate frivolous lawsuits or settlements that rival powerball lottery winnings, but obviously our justice system failed Mr. Towler. He was wrongfully accused and convicted. DNA testing has been available for many years now, and yet only now is he being released. The reasoning behind this was that some evidence in his case could not be found. This type of incompetence is completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated in our society. This man lost 29 years of his life-he’s now 52 years old with no job, no home, no health insurance.  He’s missed the opportunity to build a life and have a family. 1.4 million dollars doesn’t seem like nearly enough. Yet he is fortunate. Not every state compensates the wrongfully convicted, and some like New Hampshire cap claims at ridiculous amounts like $20,000. That won’t even buy a decent new car, much make up for a miscarriage of justice and a loss of years.



The fact is, whether one is guilty, serves time in prison and is released, or is exonerated and released after wrongful imprisonment, it makes little difference. Many in society still view the exonerated as ex-cons, not as people who were unjustly convicted and wronged by our great system of justice. It is often just as difficult for them to find a job and a home, and reintegrate into society as it is for prisoners who serve their time and are released. It is appalling that we compound the injustice of being wrongfully convicted with discrimination after exoneration and release.



What can be done to fix this problem? We can make an active effort to run DNA tests on EVERY criminal currently incarcerated who was convicted based on physical evidence prior to the existence of DNA testing. We can require a fair and just system of compensation for the exonerated, which includes not just monetary compensation. Resources must be made available to them-healthcare, psychological counseling, assistance with obtaining housing, assistance with obtaining employment, even pensions for those who have served lengthy sentences and have lost out on many prime earning years in the job market. So far, approximately 250 people have been released from prison based on DNA evidence which exonerates them-but that number could grow exponentially in the coming years. It is absolutely unconscionable that many states pay them little or nothing and put them out on the streets. We as a nation can and must do better.