Compensation for those who have been wrongfully convicted and served jail time in Louisiana will increase beginning July of next year. Gretna Representative Joe Marino’s bill boosting the annual amount from $25,000 to $40,000 received near-unanimous support.
“I worked this bill really hard cause it was really important to me to try to compensate and help these people who are wrongfully incarcerated and had significant portions of their lives taken away from them,” said Marino.
Marino said the hurdle he encountered during the session was explaining to lawmakers that you are not automatically entitled to the funds once you are exonerated. He said you must have a second hearing.
“Well, you have to prove that by a higher standard you’re factually innocent. There have only been 33 people in the state of Louisiana that have ever qualified for this compensation,” said Marino.
For example, if you were wrongfully incarcerated for three years, you would receive $120,00. The maximum one can receive is $400 thousand spread across 10 years or a lump sum of $250,000.
“The people who have already previously been through the process can apply for supplemental compensation if they’ve received less than that, which would be anybody before prior to this,” said Marino.
Marino said the Innocence Project New Orleans who advocates on behalf of wrongly convicted individuals, asked him to increase the compensation.
A financial analysis of the legislation said 15 people are currently receiving annual compensation from the state for wrongful convictions.
Comments