Junk Forensic Science and Wrongful Convictions: A National Survey Anchored by the Maria Montalvo Case

Georgia's post-conviction system traps an estimated 2,500 innocent people behind bars through a web of judicially narrowed statutes, overwhelmed public defense, and a near-total absence of conviction integrity review. While the state has the fourth-largest prison population in the nation, only three of its 159 counties have any mechanism to investigate wrongful conviction claims, and less than 1% of complaints against prosecutors result in public accountability.