What Can DNA Exonerations Tell Us About Racial Differences in Wrongful Conviction Rates

We show DNA exonerations can help reveal the extent to which wrongful conviction rates differ across races. However, to do so, one must make an assumption regarding the relative likelihood of a DNA exoneration among innocent black convicts versus innocent white convicts. Given this, we then show that under a wide-range of assumptions regarding possible racial biases in the DNA exoneration process, our results suggest the wrongful conviction rate for rape is significantly higher among black convicts than white convicts. However, we find little evidence to suggest significant racial differences in wrongful conviction rates for murder.