Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has officially ushered in a new era of conviction review and wrongful conviction remediation with the announcement of her office's Justice Review Unit (JRU). The Mass.gov news release details that the JRU, led by Appellate Attorney Donna Patalano, aims to firmly uphold the integrity of convictions by providing independent evaluations of innocence claims and offering guidance to other prosecutorial authorities in the Commonwealth on post-conviction matters.
The importance of the JRU cannot be understated given that since 1990, Massachusetts has seen 98 people exonerated, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, amounting to approximately 1,379 years lost to wrongfully imposed incarceration. AG Campbell aims to actively remedy this historic trend. "Communities are safer when people can trust that their law enforcement officials are securing justice, and when our justice system can recognize and learn from past mistakes," she said. Furthermore, the JRU will also actively train others and propose policies to more effectively prevent wrongful convictions.
In her new role, Patalano brings a wealth of experience to the JRU, having previously initiated the Commonwealth's first conviction integrity unit in 2012. She will focus exclusively on JRU matters, reporting directly to the First Assistant Attorney General, ensuring independence from the AGO’s Criminal Bureau. This strategic placement underscores a commitment to impartiality and fairness in her work.
Launching during Second Chance Month, a period dedicated to overcoming the stigma of past justice involvement, the JRU seeks to ensure that individuals with a criminal record are given an opportunity to be correctly judged. "Our nation-leading Justice Review Unit will play a critical role in helping to address wrongful convictions," Campbell highlighted in a statement. By expanding the criteria for accepting and investigating claims of innocence, providing training on best prosecutorial practices, and assisting with discovery requests stemming from wrongful convictions, the JRU sets out to fundamentally transform the approach to justice in Massachusetts.
Marissa Bluestine, Assistant Director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, praised Massachusetts as a pacesetter in conviction review and for maintaining prosecutorial duties in investigating innocence cases, no matter when they come to light. The response from the Massachusetts Conviction Integrity Task Force has been equally commendable. The Task Force's Co-Chair, Richard Cole, extended congratulations and announced the welcoming of Patalano as a task force member. Both anticipate collaborative efforts to bolster prosecution practices in the state. With its systematic focus, the JRU represents a significant stride toward upholding the rights of the innocent and strengthening the pillars of justice.
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