http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/ronhuff.htm
The study linked above estimates that there are roughly 10,000 people wrongfully convicted of serious crimes each year.
That is why we have the appeal process.
I'm certainly not opposed to the appeal process. A few years ago I filed an appeal where I was denied unemployment insurance, and I won the appeal. The whole thing took 10 months.
Sure the appeal process is fine. But I'm just not OK with the craziness of it taking 10, 20 or 30 years to complete, that's all.
I don't have all the goods on this , but I'm suspecting there's a money trail involved here. Somebody, or somebodies (artist's license), quite possibly is pocketing a semi-fortune out of this risky, dangerous absurdity, and the whole thing has hardened over time into being institutionalized that way.
As for links, I could just as easily supply them for people who were killed by convicted killers, while they were waiting for an execution day to arrive. Come to think of it, I already did, didn't I ? (Ex. Michael Cain serving a LIFE TERM for MURDER strangled Leslie Bailey to death inside the prison they were in. Had Cain been executed before that day, Bailey would still be alive.
Same thing with Mitchell Harrison, killed in prison by 2 convicted murderers (Nathan Mann and Michael Parr).
This one really intrigues me. >> In 2011, at the age of 63, RochThériault was attacked by Matthew Gerrard MacDonald, his 60-year-old cellmate. MacDonald strongly disliked Thériault for the horrifying acts he had committed, especially those involving women and children. He stabbed Thériault in the neck, and then brought the shank to the prison guards, confessing immediately to the crime.
He was given another life sentence. Pheeeeww!! Who's next ?
10 Infamous Prison Murders - Listverse