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NYT on blocks to DNA evidence
Barry Scheck, cofounder of The Innocence Project (whose mission is to free innocent people from prison with DNA evidence), spoke at Gel 2009 a few weeks back, alongside Jerry Miller, the 200th exoneree of the organization. The effort has always seemed like a no-brainer to me: by funding these efforts, society pays less for incarceration, and has a better chance of catching the people who really did commit the crimes, not to mention the ethical gain (I'd call it an obligation) of freeing the wrongfully convicted.
Unfortunately, the NYT reports today, Prosecutors Block Access to DNA Testing for Inmates. To take one example from the story:
Mr. Reed has been seeking a DNA test for three years, saying it will prove his innocence. But prosecutors have refused, saying he was identified by witnesses, making his identification by DNA unnecessary.
More info at TIP's website or Twitter feed.
