The Quattrone Center launches website to help prosecutors set up conviction review units
The Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School has launched a new website, www.convictionreview.net, to help prosecutors in conviction review units, as well as innocence organization lawyers, navigate the issues involved in investigating and resolving wrongful convictions.
“Conviction review units help promote the highest ideals of our criminal justice system, and jurisdictions across the country want to know how to create them and make them effective,” said Marissa Bluestine, Assistant Director at the Quattrone Center. “Convictionreview.net fills the need for a single, comprehensive resource where prosecutors can go to learn about best practices to implement, find templates they can use to develop strong policies, or even just to help them think through the difficult issues that exist in this space.”
The site is a one-stop-shop for materials and templates, a wide variety of information regarding best practices, and guidance for working with victims and surviving victims’ families. All resources and materials available on the website are free to anyone interested in reviewing best practices, although particularly aimed at prosecutors who need them.
Bluestine expressed hope that criminal justice systems nationwide will ultimately improve thanks to the central location of and free access to these materials.
The site, which was developed in collaboration with leaders of conviction review units, was created by the Quattrone Center as part of a federal grant from the Bureau of Justice Administration to help prosecutorial offices establish and optimize the work done by conviction review units, provides guidance for prosecutors interested in learning more about conviction review units and actively working to establish them.
Beyond compiling and overseeing this web resource, the Quattrone Center also encourages prosecutors who need assistance to reach out directly for help as it serves as a national training and technical assistance provider for the Bureau of Justice Administration, which is an arm of the Department of Justice.
Read more about the Quattrone Center and its ongoing work.
