Innocence Incarcerated: A Critical Examination of U.S. Wrongful Convictions, 19th Century to Present
Date of Award
12-2024
Document Type
Campus Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Tim Hacsi
Second Advisor
Maria John
Third Advisor
Nicholas Juravich, Olivia Weisser, Heidi Gengenbach
Abstract
This thesis examines the persistence of wrongful convictions in the American justice system from the early 19th century to the present, analyzing how superficial reforms repeatedly fail to address fundamental inequities that produce wrongful convictions. Drawing from court records, trial transcripts, contemporary media accounts, and modern statistical data, this study investigates three key questions: 1) How have patterns of wrongful conviction evolved from early cases of ethnic and religious prejudice to modern instances of racial bias? 2) Why do reforms consistently fail to prevent similar miscarriages of justice across different historical periods? 3) How do contemporary wrongful convictions continue to reflect historical patterns despite technological and procedural advances?
Recommended Citation
Alvaranga, Shakala, "Innocence Incarcerated: A Critical Examination of U.S. Wrongful Convictions, 19th Century to Present" (2024). Graduate Masters Theses. 874.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/masters_theses/874
Comments
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