Kirk Heilbrun, Sarah Fishel, Claire Lankford and Mina Ratkalkar
The conviction of innocent individuals has emerged as an international concern, resulting in substantial attention to the legal needs that stem from exoneration. However, many…
Abstract
Purpose
The conviction of innocent individuals has emerged as an international concern, resulting in substantial attention to the legal needs that stem from exoneration. However, many other challenges can also arise in the aftermath of an exoneration, including financial, psychosocial and mental health needs. Relatively little has been written about the particular reentry needs of individuals who are exonerated of their charges, and even fewer studies have considered the effectiveness of various treatment approaches. The purpose of this paper is to reviews the available literature, identifies gaps and provides clinical recommendations for the development of treatment interventions for exonerees.
Design/methodology/approach
The research addressing the needs and challenges that arise in the aftermath of exoneration is reviewed and analysed for implications that can guide treatment-planning in this area.
Findings
This paper reviews key finds from the literature and provides recommendations for developing a semi-structured approach to treating exonerees.
Practical implications
Practical applications for the development of effective therapeutic interventions for exonerated individuals are identified and discussed.
Originality/value
Currently, there is very limited literature addressing the specific reentry needs and effective therapeutic interventions for exonerated individuals.