Legislation that would compensate the wrongly convicted in Idaho has advanced to the governor’s desk.
The House voted 64-1 to approve the amended measure from the Senate that would pay $60,000 a year for wrongful incarceration and $75,000 per year on death row.
Backers say the state needs to take responsibility when an innocent person is incarcerated. Idaho is one of 15 states that doesn’t compensate people sent to prison for crimes they didn’t commit.
Idaho has several notable cases of wrongly convicted inmates, who have been released after DNA evidence, which didn’t exist at the time of their trials, proved them innocent.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Doug Ricks, said six former inmates could benefit from the measure. (AP)
