What's Your Freedom Worth?

We all see those MasterCard commercials that tell us those little moments in life are truly "Priceless." But the state of Illinois doesn't think so. They think all those little moments we can't replace are worth a grand total of (drum roll, please)...

$6000 a year.

According to the Chicago Tribune yesterday, Michael Evans was compensated a grand total of $162,000 for the 27 years he was imprisoned, before being exonerated by DNA evidence in 2003. He had been arrested at 17, and thus spent every day of his adult life in prison for rape and murder. His conviction rested largely on the questionable credibility of one witness' testimony. In 2003, after DNA evidence showed someone else had sexually assaulted the victim, he was released...and that's it. No apology. No help with work, education, health benefits, nothing. It actually took him two years of fighting and a governor's pardon just to get the $6000 a year that his award amounts to. Gee, I hope he has to file income taxes on it, because that yearly amount is exempt! Finally he gets to screw the state back a little. Last Tuesday he lost a $60 Million civil suit against ten former Chicago police officers he accused of conspiring to manipulate evidence and coerce an eyewitness in his criminal trial. Wouldn't somebody make more than $6000 a year working in a fast-food joint? I'm pretty sure I made almost that much in a summer during college in a warehouse...it's nice to know that Illinois is so apologetic and interested in righting its wrongs.

Let's look at some statistics, which the article was kind enough to provide. According to California's Life After Exoneration Project,:

More than 90 percent of the people who have been released after a false conviction have lost all their assets, including cars, savings and homes.

Of those who land a job, 43 percent earn less than they did prior to imprisonment, 39 percent find work at similar pay, and only 17 percent are paid more than they did before prison.

Twenty-one states, the District of Columbia and the federal government have laws governing compensation. Many states require that the person get a pardon, which can be difficult to obtain, or proof of innocence, which can be nearly impossible in cases that don't involve DNA evidence.

Other states are far kinder on compensation than Illinois, too.

Massachusetts has a cap on the reimbursement at $500,000, but also offers social services and education.

New Jersey pays $20,000 for each year spent in prison or twice the income made in the year before incarceration, whichever is greater.

Pennsylvania does pretty well; it pays $50,000 for each year spent on Death Row. The state also provides health care coverage for up to 10 years after release. It also compensates for services to help reintegrate into the work world.

Californians, though, have it the best. California pays $100 for each day spent behind bars. Federal prisoners are entitled to $50,000 a year; $100,000 for each year on Death Row.

DNA evidence is really changing the way some of these things work now. I saw a statistic somewhere recently that said as many as 25% of the people we put to death in the US before DNA testing could have been innocent of their crimes. That's really scary, both because it means we've killed innocent people and because it means the guilty could still be out there.

I'm all for the idea of punishment fitting the crime, so in some cases I do support the death penalty. But it sure makes you think twice about wanting to flip the switch, doesn't it?