200 and Counting for the Innocence Project
Posted by Osagie K. Obasogie April 27, 2007
Biopolitical Times
The Innocence Project, a public interest litigation shop dedicated to using DNA evidence to free wrongly convicted prisoners, recently reached a remarkable milestone: its 200th exoneration. This application of human biotechnology is certainly an unqualified good; falsely convicted inmates in 31 states - 14 of whom were on death row - have been reunited with their families. And in 43 cases the real assailant was found.
Barry Scheck, the Project's co-founder, zealously supports using DNA forensics in criminal justice, noting that "we have a technology (DNA) that is a truth machine." Scheck's passion is admirable; we should all celebrate the Innocence Project's success and hope for more. But we must also be careful to distinguish the positive use of DNA technologies - in this case for exoneration purposes - from applications that support DNA databanks and dragnets, which trounce basic civil liberties by treating us all like felons under constant government surveillance. It may be tempting to use these 200 stories to justify broadening the use of DNA forensics in criminal justice. Yet we must remain vigilant to ensure that the key used to unlock these former prisoners' shackles isn't used to unjustly lock away others.
Barry Scheck, the Project's co-founder, zealously supports using DNA forensics in criminal justice, noting that "we have a technology (DNA) that is a truth machine." Scheck's passion is admirable; we should all celebrate the Innocence Project's success and hope for more. But we must also be careful to distinguish the positive use of DNA technologies - in this case for exoneration purposes - from applications that support DNA databanks and dragnets, which trounce basic civil liberties by treating us all like felons under constant government surveillance. It may be tempting to use these 200 stories to justify broadening the use of DNA forensics in criminal justice. Yet we must remain vigilant to ensure that the key used to unlock these former prisoners' shackles isn't used to unjustly lock away others.