The petition to Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois legislature reads:
“Victims of wrongful convictions deserve compensation for the time they unjustly spent in prison.”

How much is a year of your life worth? One million dollars? $500,000? $100,000? More than likely, you probably couldn’t even think of a reasonable price, but for those released after a wrongful conviction in Illinois, the state has decided they know exactly how much a year of his life is worth — $11,000.

That’s right. That is the average amount per year incarcerated IL gives to the wrongfully convicted. That amount is well below the poverty line, the federal standard for compensation of $63,000 per year and less than a 10th of what New York pays on average ($150,000).

$11,000 for a year of your life doesn’t cut it and adds insult to the injury of the wrongful conviction itself.

Tell Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois legislature that victims of wrongful convictions deserve more than just an apology and a few pennies for the years they spent behind bars. They deserve assistance and compensation. Sign our petition.

The wrongfully convicted faced far more challenges than the average Illinoisan. The years or decades spent behind bars can leave them with real trauma and a knowledge gap created by the world they knew when they went in and the one that exists today. They often lack the skills needed to compete in today’s job market, and the lack of work history compounds their problems even more. The state that shamefully put them behind bars must take responsibility for their errors and pay for the years they lost and the training and counseling they need.

This Illinois policy that only provides the minimum compensation to the wrongfully imprisoned is unjust and cruel.

Sign the petition and tell JB Pritzker and the Illinois legislature to change the compensation statute and give meaningful financial compensation for the wrongly convicted.