The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office in Michigan was awarded a $1,600,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence program (CFDA 16.820). The purpose of the grant is to assist the county's newly established Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) in reviewing claims of wrongful conviction, locating biological evidence, conducting DNA testing, and recommending relief when warranted.
The CIU has received a high volume of requests, with 44 in 2022 alone, from a population that is disproportionately Black and has low educational attainment. The grant funding will enable the CIU to improve the quality and speed of violent felony case reviews by 100-200% over the next 3 years to establish innocence or guilt via DNA testing. To date, the CIU has already secured the dismissal and vacation of one wrongful conviction case.
Generated 8/13/24, 6:50 AM