In a study by the Northwestern students and government officials, many serious problems
were revealed in the legal system. Police officers had been violent and forced suspects to
confess, or they had lied about evidence in court. The reliability of witnesses had not been
properly checked, and physical evidence that might have helped the innocent men had been
thrown out or not stored properly. As a result of this study, Governor Ryan decided, in 2003, to
set free four more prisoners and changed the sentences of 167 others from death to life
i mprisonment.
The use of DNA in criminal cases is still being debated around the world. Some fear that
governments will one day keep records of everyone's DNA, which could put limits on the privacy
and freedom of citizens. Other people mistrust the science of DNA testing and think that lawyers
use it to get their clients free whether or not they are guilty. But for those whose innocence has
been proven and who are now free men, DNA testing has meant nothing less than a return to life.
And with the careful use of DNA testing, no innocent person should ever be convicted again.