“They Were With Me, They Were Against Us”

Exploring Loved One Support and the Us Versus Them Mentality After Wrongful Convictions

Bibliographic Data

ID21309167
AuthorsMartha Mccullough (0009-0006-3284-6918, University of Cincinnati, OH, USA, corresponding author), Amanda Lewis (0000-0003-0488-5347, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA)
Year2025
Publication date2025-12-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCrime & Delinquency (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0011-1287 • E-ISSN: 1552-387X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00111287251401185
OpenAlexW7117377454
LanguageEN
References cited41

Exoneration and wrongful conviction present complex challenges to criminology and the criminal justice system. While much research focuses on systemic failures like false confessions or misconduct, fewer studies examine the social and psychological impact on exonerees and their loved ones. To address this gap, we conducted 36 semi-structured interviews with 19 exonerees and 17 loved ones. Our analysis explores how wrongful convictions influence perceptions of innocence and guilt—both internally and externally—and how these perceptions shape personal relationships. Findings reveal that loved ones consistently maintained belief in the exonerees’ innocence, despite skepticism from outsiders. This study deepens understanding of wrongful convictions’ broader effects and offers recommendations for improving how the criminal justice system responds to such miscarriages of justice

Conviction · Criminal justice · Economic Justice · Innocence · Perception · Skepticism · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Deception detection and forensic psychology · Forgiveness and Related Behaviors · Human Factors and Ergonomics

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