University of Wisconsin Madison to Screen "After Innocence"

Madison University Communications ^ | November 17, 2005

[Dan Nunn]

The documentary “After Innocence,” to be screened on Thursday, Nov. 17, tells the stories of innocent men wrongfully imprisoned and then released after DNA evidence vindicated them. A panel discussion following the film will feature recent exonerees.

Sponsored by Wisconsin Innocence Project, the free public screening will take place at 7 p.m. in the Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State St. For more information call 262-7299 or e-mail gena@wisc.edu.

[Dan Nunn]

Kind of interesting that, in the wake of the Avery case, where a then-innocent prisoner was freed and just recently murdered somebody, that the UW would think now is an appropriate time to dwell upon this subject and show a documentary on the subject of innocents freed.

Madison kind of makes Ithaca, the "City of Evil", sound tame.

[Strategerist]

I know people are really irritated by the idea that there's anyone in prison that isn't guilty, but I fail to see what's wrong with this showing at this time.

The project deals with specific crimes and they're in no way responsible for what happened with that particular prisoner.

[SF Republican]

I am with you; a good friend invented the machine that does the DNA testing, he said nothing has given him more joy than seeing it used to free people from prison for crimes they did not commit.

[Strategerist]

I haven't read the specifics of the case of the guy that was freed and then killed somebody, but I had heard of it; if anything, one could speculate that it was the years in prison for something he didn't do that twisted the guy enough to make him a murderer.