GPS RESEARCH LIBRARY: Conviction Integrity Units: A Pathway to Justice in Georgia ============================================================ Georgia Prisoners' Speak — gps.press Generated: 2026-03-04 02:28:46 EST Research Date: 2026-02-27 Topic: Wrongful Convictions JSON: https://gps.press/research/conviction-integrity-units-a-pathway-to-justice-in-georgia/?format=json SUMMARY ---------------------------------------- This document analyzes the state of Conviction Integrity Units (CIUs) in Georgia, finding that only 3 of 159 counties have CIUs, leaving the vast majority of the state without prosecutorial mechanisms to review potentially wrongful convictions. Georgia's unique legal barriers—including no right to counsel in habeas proceedings, a four-year habeas statute of limitations, and procedural default doctrines—compound this gap. Nationally, CIUs are becoming indispensable to exonerations, with 62 CIU-assisted exonerations in 2024 alone, and Georgia's Chatham County accounts for a disproportionate 20% of the state's exonerations despite being only its fifth most populous county. STATISTICS (16) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Approximately 122 CIUs exist nationwide out of ~2,300 prosecutor offices As of 2025, there are approximately 122 Conviction Integrity Units nationwide, compared to approximately 2,300 prosecutor offices in the United States — meaning only about 5% of prosecutor offices have a CIU. Value: 122.0 CIUs (vs. 2300 total prosecutor offices nationwide) Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News) - [estimated] Only 5% of US prosecutor offices have a CIU Only about 5% of prosecutor offices in the United States have a Conviction Integrity Unit as of 2025. Value: 5.0 percent Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News) - [confirmed] CIUs helped secure 62 exonerations in 2024 In 2024, CIUs helped secure 62 exonerations nationwide. Value: 62.0 exonerations Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: legal Sources: National Registry of Exonerations 2024 Annual Report - [confirmed] Innocence Organizations participated in 53 exonerations in 2024 In 2024, Innocence Organizations (IOs) participated in 53 exonerations. Value: 53.0 exonerations Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: legal Sources: National Registry of Exonerations 2024 Annual Report - [confirmed] IOs and CIUs collaborated on 22 exonerations in 2024 In 2024, Innocence Organizations and CIUs worked together on 22 exonerations, representing 15% of the total 147 exonerations that year. Value: 22.0 exonerations (vs. 147 total exonerations in 2024) Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: legal Sources: National Registry of Exonerations 2024 Annual Report - [confirmed] 147 total exonerations in 2024 There were 147 exonerations in 2024 overall in the United States. Value: 147.0 exonerations Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: legal Sources: National Registry of Exonerations 2024 Annual Report - [confirmed] 63% of 2024 exonerations involved a professional exonerator 93 (63%) of the 147 exonerations in 2024 involved a professional exonerator (from CIUs or Innocence Organizations). Value: 63.0 percent Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: legal Sources: National Registry of Exonerations 2024 Annual Report - [reported] Cook County CIU: 33 exonerations since 2012 Cook County, Illinois CIU has produced 33 exonerations since 2012. Value: 33.0 exonerations Tags: legal Sources: Criminal Legal News CIU article - [reported] Harris County CIU: 132 exonerations since 2014 Harris County, Texas CIU has produced 132 exonerations since 2014, making it one of the most prolific CIUs in the country. Value: 132.0 exonerations Tags: legal Sources: Criminal Legal News CIU article - [reported] Brooklyn CIU: 24 exonerations, 22 involving African-American exonerees Brooklyn, New York CIU has produced 24 exonerations, 22 of which involved African-American exonerees. Value: 24.0 exonerations Tags: legal,demographics Sources: Criminal Legal News CIU article - [confirmed] Georgia has only 3 CIUs covering 3 of 159 counties Georgia has only three Conviction Integrity Units, all in metro-area counties. With 49 judicial circuits and 159 counties, the vast majority of Georgia has no mechanism for prosecutorial review of potentially wrongful convictions. Value: 3.0 CIUs (vs. 159 total Georgia counties) Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News); Fulton County Government website: Aimee Maxwell bio; Gwinnett County Government website: Conviction Integrity Unit - [reported] Chatham County accounts for 20% of Georgia's exonerations Chatham County has a disproportionate history of wrongful convictions, representing 20% of Georgia's exonerations despite being only the fifth most populous county. Nine known exonerations have occurred in Chatham County alone. Value: 20.0 percent of Georgia exonerations Tags: legal,demographics Sources: Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News) - [reported] Nine known exonerations in Chatham County Nine known exonerations have occurred in Chatham County alone. Value: 9.0 exonerations Tags: legal Sources: Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News) - [reported] Chatham CIU received 30 review requests by May 2024 As of May 2024, the Chatham County CIU had received 30 requests for review; slightly over half were screened out for not meeting basic eligibility requirements. Value: 30.0 review requests Date: 2024-05-01 Tags: legal Sources: Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News) - [reported] Average DNA exoneree serves 14 years before exoneration The average DNA exoneree serves 14 years before exoneration, far exceeding Georgia's four-year habeas statute of limitations. Value: 14.0 years Tags: legal Sources: Southern Center for Human Rights: Know Your Rights: Georgia State Habeas Procedure - [reported] Brooklyn CIU racial disparity: 22 of 24 exonerees were African-American Brooklyn, New York CIU produced 24 exonerations, 22 of which (92%) involved African-American exonerees, highlighting the racial dimension of wrongful convictions. Value: 92.0 percent African-American exonerees Tags: legal,demographics Sources: Criminal Legal News CIU article CASE DETAILS (5) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Fulton County CIU established in 2019 — Georgia's first Georgia's first Conviction Integrity Unit was established in Fulton County by then-District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. in 2019, with Aimee Maxwell hired as director. Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Fulton County Government website: Aimee Maxwell bio; Atlanta Patch: Georgia's First Ever Conviction Integrity Unit Formed in Fulton - [confirmed] Exonerations of Stinchcomb and Woolfolk in 2021 Under DA Fani Willis's administration, the Fulton County CIU achieved notable results including the 2021 exonerations of Mario Stinchcomb and Michael Woolfolk, who had been wrongfully convicted of murder in 2002. Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: legal Sources: 11Alive investigation - Conviction Integrity Unit - [confirmed] Chatham County CIU established via DOJ BJA grant in 2022 The Chatham County CIU was created through a DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance grant awarded in November 2021 to the Georgia Innocence Project and the Chatham DA's Office. The CIU was established in 2022. Date: 2022-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,budget Sources: Bureau of Justice Assistance grant description for Chatham County CIU; Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News) - [confirmed] Gwinnett County CIU established March 2021 Gwinnett County established its CIU in March 2021 under District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. The unit is led by Senior Assistant DAs Brenda Lopez Romero and Herbert Adams. Date: 2021-03-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Gwinnett County Government website: Conviction Integrity Unit - [reported] Harris County CIU discovered mass guilty pleas to non-controlled substances Harris County's CIU discovered that scores of people had pleaded guilty to drug possession before lab results came back showing what they possessed were not controlled substances. Tags: legal,drugs Sources: Criminal Legal News CIU article POLICYS (4) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Chatham CIU developed a point-based prioritization tool The Chatham County CIU developed a 'prioritization tool' — a point-based system to assess and prioritize incoming innocence claims. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News) - [confirmed] Chatham CIU eligibility: felony conviction, final appeal, actual innocence claim Chatham County CIU eligibility requirements include: felony conviction prosecuted by the Chatham DA's Office, direct appeal has become final with no pending litigation, and claim must be of actual innocence — the defendant did not commit the crime and played no role. Tags: legal,policy Sources: Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News) - [confirmed] Gwinnett CIU requires new evidence not considered by trier of fact Gwinnett CIU requirements for review: the convicted person must assert actual innocence, the investigation must show a plausible claim, new information or evidence must exist that was not considered by the trier of fact, and direct appeal must be final with no pending litigation. Tags: legal,policy Sources: Gwinnett County Government website: Conviction Integrity Unit - [reported] GPS recommends CIUs should also review constitutional violations The GPS idea bank entry notes that conviction integrity units should also 'review cases where the constitution was violated' — including Brady violations and major constitutional violations like holding someone in jail until they plea out. This broader scope would capture a wider range of injustice. Tags: legal,policy LEGAL FACTS (5) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Georgia has no right to counsel in habeas corpus proceedings Georgia is one of the few states that does not constitutionally or statutorily guarantee the right to counsel in habeas proceedings. Most inmates represent themselves pro se. Tags: legal,policy Sources: Southern Center for Human Rights: Know Your Rights: Georgia State Habeas Procedure - [confirmed] Georgia's four-year habeas corpus statute of limitations Georgia imposes a four-year habeas corpus statute of limitations (O.C.G.A. § 9-14-42). After four years from conviction becoming final, the courthouse door closes. Since the average DNA exoneree serves 14 years before exoneration, this deadline eliminates the vast majority of potential innocence claims before they can be developed. Tags: legal,policy Sources: Southern Center for Human Rights: Know Your Rights: Georgia State Habeas Procedure - [confirmed] Georgia's procedural default doctrine bars claims not raised on direct appeal Under Georgia's procedural default doctrine, claims not raised on direct appeal are generally barred, even if the defendant had no lawyer, didn't know the legal issue existed, or had ineffective counsel. Tags: legal,policy Sources: Southern Center for Human Rights: Know Your Rights: Georgia State Habeas Procedure - [confirmed] Georgia's successive habeas petition bars make second petitions nearly impossible Filing a second habeas petition in Georgia is nearly impossible, even with new evidence, due to successive petition bars. Tags: legal,policy Sources: Southern Center for Human Rights: Know Your Rights: Georgia State Habeas Procedure - [confirmed] Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act provides $75,000/year Georgia's Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act (SB 244, signed by Republican Gov. Kemp) provides compensation of $75,000 per year of wrongful incarceration. The act passed with bipartisan support. Tags: legal,policy,budget Sources: Georgia Innocence Project - Compensation Act announcement TRENDS (1) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Trend: CIUs becoming indispensable to identifying wrongful convictions The share of exonerations involving professional exonerators (CIUs and Innocence Organizations) has been increasing over time, with 63% of 2024 exonerations involving a professional exonerator. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: legal Sources: National Registry of Exonerations 2024 Annual Report QUOTES (3) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Aimee Maxwell quote on public safety implications of wrongful convictions "The fact that people are exonerated on a regular basis now around the country should make citizens worry. If you get it wrong, there's an innocent person in prison, but also the guilty person is still out there. So you're not safe. You have an illusion of safety, but you're not safe." Tags: legal,policy Sources: 11Alive investigation - Conviction Integrity Unit - [confirmed] Aimee Maxwell quote on demanding CIUs in every county Aimee Maxwell, director of the Fulton County CIU, has stated that people in every county should demand a CIU to verify the system got it right. Tags: legal,policy Sources: 11Alive investigation - Conviction Integrity Unit - [reported] Robert Mosteller quote on state innocence commissions Professor Robert Mosteller of UNC wrote that "a state agency devoted to finding innocence can work in the real world if it has a commitment to neutrality and is perceived as such." Tags: legal,policy Sources: Criminal Legal News CIU article DATA GAPS (1) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Coverage gap: Most Georgia counties have no wrongful conviction review mechanism With only 3 CIUs covering 3 of Georgia's 159 counties (and 49 judicial circuits), the overwhelming majority of Georgia has no prosecutorial mechanism for reviewing potentially wrongful convictions. A person wrongfully convicted in rural South Georgia has no CIU to turn to. Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy FINDINGS (6) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Counties without CIUs may have undiscovered wrongful convictions Chatham County's disproportionate representation among Georgia exonerations — 20% of all state exonerations — demonstrates that wrongful convictions are not evenly distributed. Counties without CIUs may have undiscovered wrongful convictions that never come to light. Tags: legal Sources: Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News) - [reported] 2026 Georgia gubernatorial race as strategic advocacy window The 2026 Georgia gubernatorial race provides a strategic window to advocate for statewide conviction integrity reform, with arguments based on public safety, fiscal responsibility, system credibility, bipartisan support, and federal pressure from the 2024 DOJ investigation. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy - [confirmed] Mercer Law Review 2022 analysis of Georgia conviction integrity reforms A 2022 Mercer Law Review article by E. Addison Gantt and Meagan R. Hurley provides a comprehensive analysis of Georgia's criminal legal system as it relates to conviction integrity. It examines wrongful conviction prevalence, prosecutor roles in corrections, prosecutorial attitudes in Georgia, and reform viability. It concludes optimistically about potential for progress but notes systemic barriers. Date: 2022-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Mercer Law Review: Fostering Equity and Accountability in Georgia's Criminal Legal System Through Conviction Integrity Reforms - [confirmed] Definition: CIU as a division preventing and remedying wrongful convictions A Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) is a division within a prosecutorial office dedicated to preventing, identifying, and remedying wrongful convictions. Sometimes called Conviction Review Units (CRUs), CIUs represent a fundamental shift in prosecutorial culture — from viewing convictions as final achievements to treating the integrity of convictions as an ongoing responsibility. Tags: legal,policy Sources: National Registry of Exonerations: Conviction Integrity Units page; Federal Criminal Law Center: Conviction Integrity Review - [reported] Effective CIU characteristics Effective CIUs share several characteristics: independence from the original prosecution team, willingness to collaborate with defense attorneys and innocence organizations, transparent processes with clear eligibility criteria, adequate staffing and resources, authority to act on findings (dismiss charges, recommend new trials), and systematic review processes rather than reactive case-by-case review. Tags: legal,policy Sources: 11Alive investigation - Conviction Integrity Unit - [confirmed] 2024 DOJ investigation found unconstitutional conditions in Georgia prisons The 2024 DOJ investigation found conditions in Georgia prisons so severe they violate the Constitution — meaning every unnecessary prisoner in the system is exposed to unconstitutional conditions. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: legal,conditions DATASETS (3) ---------------------------------------- # 2024 Exonerations by Professional Exonerator Involvement Breakdown of exonerations in 2024 by involvement of professional exonerators (CIUs and Innocence Organizations) Category Exonerations Percentage of Total ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Innocence Organizations only 31 21 CIUs only 40 27 IOs and CIUs together 22 15 Total with professional exonerator 93 63 Without professional exonerator 54 37 Total exonerations 147 100 # Georgia CIU Inventory List of all known Conviction Integrity Units in Georgia with key details County Year Established DA at Establishment CIU Leadership -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fulton County 2019 Paul Howard Jr. Aimee Maxwell (Director) Gwinnett County 2021 Patsy Austin-Gatson Brenda Lopez Romero & Herbert Adams (Sr. ADAs) Chatham County 2022 Shalena Jones N/A # Top CIU Exoneration Counts by Jurisdiction Exoneration totals for the most prolific CIUs nationally Jurisdiction Exonerations Since Year --------------------------------------------- Harris County, TX 132 2014 Cook County, IL 33 2012 Brooklyn, NY 24 KEY ENTITIES (26) ---------------------------------------- - Aimee Maxwell [person]: Founding Executive Director of the Georgia Innocence Project. Later joined the Fulton County DA's office in 2019 as director of their Conviction Integrity Unit. - Brenda Lopez Romero [person]: Senior Assistant DA leading the Gwinnett County CIU. - Bureau of Justice Assistance [organization]: Federal agency within DOJ that assumed responsibility for DCRA data collection from BJS around 2019, after which data quality and transparency deteriorated significantly. (aka: BJA) - Chatham County CIU [program]: Georgia's second CIU, established in 2022 in Chatham County (Savannah) by DA Shalena Jones, funded through a DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance grant. (aka: Chatham County Conviction Integrity Unit) - Cook County CIU [program]: CIU in Cook County, Illinois that has produced 33 exonerations since 2012. (aka: Cook County Conviction Integrity Unit) - E. Addison Gantt [person]: Co-author of 2022 Mercer Law Review article on conviction integrity reforms in Georgia. - Fani Willis [person]: Fulton County District Attorney under whose administration the CIU continued operating and achieved notable exonerations. - Fulton County CIU [program]: Georgia's first Conviction Integrity Unit, established in 2019 by DA Paul Howard Jr. in Fulton County (Atlanta). Directed by Aimee Maxwell. (aka: Fulton County Conviction Integrity Unit) - Georgia Department of Corrections [organization]: State agency responsible for operating Georgia's prison system. Subject of federal DOJ investigation in 2022-2023 for constitutional violations including food-related deaths. (aka: GDC) - Georgia Innocence Project [organization]: Founded in 2002, the first and only innocence organization in Georgia. Has helped free or exonerate 16 individuals who collectively lost 372 years to wrongful imprisonment. Received over 7,900 requests for assistance. (aka: GIP) - Georgia Prisoners' Speak [organization]: Advocacy organization documenting conditions inside Georgia prisons through photos and insider accounts, including food inadequacy. (aka: GPS) - Gwinnett County CIU [program]: Georgia's third CIU, established March 2021 in Gwinnett County under DA Patsy Austin-Gatson. (aka: Gwinnett County Conviction Integrity Unit) - Harris County CIU [program]: CIU in Harris County, Texas that has produced 132 exonerations since 2014, making it one of the most prolific in the nation. (aka: Harris County Conviction Integrity Unit) - Herbert Adams [person]: Senior Assistant DA leading the Gwinnett County CIU alongside Brenda Lopez Romero. - Mario Stinchcomb [person]: Convicted of murder in 2002 in Atlanta's Pittsburgh neighborhood. Exonerated in 2021 when Fulton County CIU determined he had acted in self-defense. 18+ years wrongfully imprisoned. - Meagan R. Hurley [person]: Co-author of 2022 Mercer Law Review article on conviction integrity reforms in Georgia. - Michael Woolfolk [person]: Co-defendant with Stinchcomb, also exonerated in 2021 through the Fulton County CIU. - National Registry of Exonerations [organization]: National database documenting exonerations in the United States since 1989. Has documented over 3,646 exonerations as of 2024. (aka: NRE) - North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission [organization]: State-level innocence commission in North Carolina with authority to investigate claims of innocence across the entire state. Cited as a model for statewide implementation. - O.C.G.A. § 9-14-42 [legislation]: Georgia statute establishing a four-year statute of limitations for habeas corpus proceedings. - Patsy Austin-Gatson [person]: Gwinnett County District Attorney who established the Gwinnett County CIU in March 2021. - Paul Howard Jr. [person]: Former Fulton County District Attorney who established Georgia's first CIU in 2019. - Robert Mosteller [person]: Professor at UNC who wrote about the viability of state-level innocence commissions. - Shalena Jones [person]: Chatham County District Attorney who established the Chatham County CIU in 2022. - Southern Center for Human Rights [organization]: Legal advocacy organization that investigated food conditions at Gordon County Jail and sent a formal letter to Sheriff Mitch Ralston in October 2014. (aka: SCHR) - Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act [legislation]: Georgia legislation (SB 244) signed by Governor Kemp providing $75,000 per year of wrongful incarceration in compensation. Passed with bipartisan support. (aka: SB 244, Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act) SOURCES (13) ---------------------------------------- - 11Alive investigation - Conviction Integrity Unit, 11Alive [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/conviction-integrity-unit-fulton-county/85-33d75683-1d91-489e-828b-7abfb22a1287 - Atlanta Patch: Georgia's First Ever Conviction Integrity Unit Formed in Fulton, Atlanta Patch (2019-01-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://patch.com/georgia/atlanta/georgias-first-ever-conviction-integrity-unit-formed-fulton - Bureau of Justice Assistance grant description for Chatham County CIU, Bureau of Justice Assistance [official_report, primary] URL: https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/awards/15pbja-21-gg-03601-wrng - Chatham County DA CIU article (Yahoo News), Yahoo News / Savannah Morning News (2024-01-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.yahoo.com/news/chatham-district-attorneys-conviction-integrity-090643460.html - Criminal Legal News CIU article, Criminal Legal News (2018-10-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.criminallegalnews.org/news/2018/oct/25/conviction-integrity-units-innocence-commissions-tackle-wrongful-convictions-prosecutorial-misconduct/ - Federal Criminal Law Center: Conviction Integrity Review, Federal Criminal Law Center [official_report, secondary] URL: https://federalcriminallawcenter.com/criminal-defense-services/sentencing/conviction-integrity-review/ - Fulton County Government website: Aimee Maxwell bio, Fulton County Government [official_report, primary] URL: https://fultoncountyga.gov/inside-fulton-county/fulton-county-departments/district-attorney/da-executive-team/special-victims-division/aimee-maxwell - Georgia Innocence Project - Compensation Act announcement, Georgia Innocence Project (2025-01-01) [press_release, primary] URL: https://www.georgiainnocenceproject.org/general/wrongful-conviction-and-incarceration-compensation-act-is-law/ - Gwinnett County Government website: Conviction Integrity Unit, Gwinnett County Government [official_report, primary] URL: https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/departments/districtattorney/convictionintegrityunit - Mercer Law Review: Fostering Equity and Accountability in Georgia's Criminal Legal System Through Conviction Integrity Reforms, Mercer Law Review by E. Addison Gantt, Meagan R. Hurley (2022-01-01) [academic, primary] URL: https://digitalcommons.law.mercer.edu/jour_mlr/vol73/iss3/7/ - National Registry of Exonerations 2024 Annual Report, National Registry of Exonerations (2024-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://exonerationregistry.org/sites/exonerationregistry.org/files/documents/2024_Annual_Report.pdf - National Registry of Exonerations: Conviction Integrity Units page, National Registry of Exonerations [data_portal, primary] URL: https://exonerationregistry.org/conviction-integrity-units - Southern Center for Human Rights: Know Your Rights: Georgia State Habeas Procedure, Southern Center for Human Rights (2020-01-01) [legal_document, primary] URL: https://www.schr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Know-Your-Rights-Georgia-State-Habeas-Procedure.pdf