U.S. prisoner exonerations are at a record high

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published 27 January 2015

The National Registry of Exonerations has announced that 125 U.S. prisoners were exonerated in 2014 for crimes they didn't commit. The number marks the highest level of exonerated prisoners since the U.S. began recording them in 1989.

2014 marked the first time the total number of U.S. exonerations was above 100 in a single year. In 2013, there were 91 exonerations of U.S. prisoners.

The report notes that last year's number may be higher thanks to the spread of "conviction integrity units," which include experts dedicated to exonerating innocent prisoners. The U.S. now has 15 of these units, six of which were created in 2014. The report also notes that 47 of the 125 prisoners pled guilty to crimes they didn't commit.