Connecticut must face the consequences of wrongfully imprisoning men for decades for crimes they did not commit, says the Hartford Courant. Miguel Roman and Kenneth Ireland have filed claims totaling more than $16 million with the state Office of the Claims Commissioner, moves that force the state to deal with how it will make up for years lost in a prison cell, something more states are grappling with as DNA testing leads to more exonerations.
The two claims, along with three others totaling about $1.3 million, are the first filed under Connecticut’s compensation for wrongful incarceration law passed in 2008. Connecticut is one of two dozen states that provide not only financial awards to the wrongfully convicted but also counseling and employment training. All five claims have been referred to the state attorney general’s office, which will represent the state in upcoming hearings.