What Promotes healing among the wrongfully convicted? Results from a qualitative study of exonerated persons in California

What Promotes healing among the wrongfully convicted? Results from a qualitative study of exonerated persons in California

Blog Article

Background: Exonerees are individuals who have been wrongfully convicted of a crime.Later found innocent and released from prison, exonerees often spend decades incarcerated.While limited, research suggests that the unique trauma of wrongful conviction has profound adverse mental health implications which viqua-f4 challenge reintegration, well-being and healing.In this study we examined exoneree perceptions of their mental health and coping mechanisms used to support healing.Methods: We conducted a qualitative study utilizing a phenomenological approach to examine shared coping and healing mechanisms among exonerees.

Twelve California exonerees participated in semi-structured interviews describing their experiences with coping and healing due to wrongful conviction.Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, transcripts were coded with a hybrid coding scheme utilizing a thematic analysis.Results: Overall findings underscore the lifelong trauma and subsequent adverse mental well-being among wrongfully convicted exonerees, framed in association with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and hypervigilance.Three areas emerged as valuable coping mechanisms for exonerees that support a pathway toward healing: 1) Peer support and building community with here other exonerees through organized meetings (convenings and healing circles); 2) Community education to build community awareness through storytelling; and 3) Advocacy engagement in the wrongful conviction movement and criminal justice reform.Conclusions: Complementing comprehensive mental health services with opportunities for peer support, advocacy, and community education through storytelling may help exonerees regain lives lost to their wrongful convictions.