Rhode Island did not have many exonerations in the last four decades, but when compared to its population, it placed in the upper half of the United States in a ranking of wrongful conviction rates, a recent study revealed.
The study conducted by New York City Law Firm Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers "used case data from the National Registry of Exonerations, covering every documented case since 1989" for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
While Rhode Island only had nine exonerations during that time period, its rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents put it at the 20th highest in America, the study determined.
"Illinois locks up more innocent people than any other state in America," with 4.57 exonerations per 100,000 residents, according to the study.
Illinois was followed by the District of Columbia, Michigan, Louisiana and New York for the highest rates in America.
The states with the lowest rates were South Carolina, New Hampshire, Maine, Colorado and Arizona.
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