Disciplines
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Abstract (300 words maximum)
“Smoke but no Fire” published by Jessica Henry provides various discussions of no-crime wrongful convictions of those who are innocent. Throughout this novel, the evaluation of forensic error, police roles, judiciary roles, and misdemeanors bring to light the phantom crimes that occur within our criminal justice system. The criminal justice system brings the injustice of those wrongfully convicted to the eyes of readers worldwide. Part of this research provided throughout her novel includes the National Registry of Exonerations, short for NRE, which assesses evidence of exonerations of those who were innocent and those who remain inside the four walls of prison that are factually innocent. The question of who is guilty and who is innocent lies in the palms of prosecutors who withhold evidence and judges who are cognitively biased. The author includes possible reforms to be made in order to provide justice to those who have been wrongfully convicted and for those who wrongfully convict the innocent.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
Sociology & Criminal Justice
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dr. Beverly Reece
Included in
Smoke but No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened
“Smoke but no Fire” published by Jessica Henry provides various discussions of no-crime wrongful convictions of those who are innocent. Throughout this novel, the evaluation of forensic error, police roles, judiciary roles, and misdemeanors bring to light the phantom crimes that occur within our criminal justice system. The criminal justice system brings the injustice of those wrongfully convicted to the eyes of readers worldwide. Part of this research provided throughout her novel includes the National Registry of Exonerations, short for NRE, which assesses evidence of exonerations of those who were innocent and those who remain inside the four walls of prison that are factually innocent. The question of who is guilty and who is innocent lies in the palms of prosecutors who withhold evidence and judges who are cognitively biased. The author includes possible reforms to be made in order to provide justice to those who have been wrongfully convicted and for those who wrongfully convict the innocent.