“They Were With Me,They Were Against Us”: Exploring Loved One Support and the Us Versus Them Mentality After Wrongful Convictions

Abstract

Exoneration and wrongful conviction present complex challenges to criminology and the criminal justice system. While much research focuses on systemic failures like false confessions or misconduct, fewer studies examine the social and psychological impact on exonerees and their loved ones. To address this gap, we conducted 36 semi-structured interviews with 19 exonerees and 17 loved ones. Our analysis explores how wrongful convictions influence perceptions of innocence and guilt—both internally and externally—and how these perceptions shape personal relationships. Findings reveal that loved ones consistently maintained belief in the exonerees’ innocence, despite skepticism from outsiders. This study deepens understanding of wrongful convictions’ broader effects and offers recommendations for improving how the criminal justice system responds to such miscarriages of justice.