The same year Cook County, Chicago’s conviction integrity unit (CIU) was founded, Roosevelt Myles fell in love. Since 2012, the CIU has been celebrated for exonerating more people than any comparable unit nationwide. However, Myles, rejected by the CIU in 2015, wasn’t celebrating.
In 1992, Roosevelt Myles was accused of murder and beaten by police into falsely admitting guilt. In 2000, Illinois’ Appellate Court ruled he deserved a new hearing. While in prison, he became a paralegal and proposed to Tonya Crowder. Together, they fought for legal representation and for Myles’ freedom. But his freedom—and their wedding—wouldn’t come until 2020.
According to Injustice Watch, the CIU rejected at least 21 people convicted of murder who’d eventually leave prison years later. Thirteen of the 21 were Black. None were white. Combined, they lost 120 years in prison. Why?
Some CIU prosecutors were biased, having worked on the original case against the potential exoneree or being married to someone who had. Others didn’t thoroughly assess the evidence. Meanwhile, the purpose of CIUs is to rectify slow appeals courts. Only 4% of prosecutor’s offices have a CIU. And just 41% of exonerees receive any compensation.
The system makes it easy to steal critical years from people’s lives, but impossible to undo the damage. “My life is not the same," says Myles. "What can you do to bring a piece of my soul back?"