Macomb County Prosecutor's Office Conviction Integrity Unit Reflects on Healing Justice Training and Commitment to Remedying Wrongful Convictions

Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office
Contact: Dawn Fraylick, Communications Director
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Email: Dawn.Fraylick@macombgov.org                      

October 17, 2024

Macomb County Prosecutor's Office Conviction Integrity Unit Reflects on Healing Justice Training and Commitment to Remedying Wrongful Convictions

Macomb County, MI - Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) attorneys recently participated in an in-depth training with Healing Justice, a specialized organization that deals with the individual and systemic impact of wrongful convictions.

Healing Justice is a unique national nonprofit organization that utilizes restorative justice and justice reform to provide healing to individuals and families harmed by wrongful convictions, while preventing future harm.  The organization was founded by Jennifer Thompson who was a crime survivor whose case was overturned more than a decade after the trial and conviction when DNA evidence proved the wrong man had been convicted. Her experience led to the formation of this important group. Much of the work of the organization is to facilitate healing of the wrongfully convicted and the original victim of the underlying crime. To learn more about Healing Justice and its work, visit https://healingjusticeproject.org.

The training by Healing Justice is vital to wrongful conviction/innocence work. The exoneree and victim have both been traumatized and need support at the time of exoneration and afterward. The Healing Justice training provided the CIU a better foundation to understand the complex psychological dynamics of the exoneree and victim when an exoneration occurs. After the training, the CIU is better prepared to apply a trauma informed and victim-centered approach to its work.

"I established the Conviction Integrity Unit to ensure that justice is served for everyone involved, not just the exoneree," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido. "Wrongful convictions harm countless lives, from the innocent individual to their loved ones, victims, and the community. By carefully reviewing claims of innocence and understanding the broader impact, we are committed to remedying these injustices."

The Macomb County's CIU's mission is to investigate claims of factual innocence and determine whether there is clear and convincing evidence that a convicted individual played no role in the crime. The Unit was started by Prosecutor Lucido in 2022 and has had one exoneration. For more information on the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit, visit https://www.macombgov.org/CIU.

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