We provide evidence that the passage of “DNA laws” streamlining access to forensic DNA technology was a watershed in the exoneration of Black Americans. Exploiting staggered adoption across states, we find that DNA laws increased exonerations of wrongfully convicted Black individuals serving life sentences for sexual offenses by nearly 200%, freeing over 50 individuals — plausibly over 10% of the wrongfully convicted — and saving nearly 900 years of prison time. Our findings suggest that DNA

Tag-uri: DNA