First State Times

Delaware lawmakers are preparing to push a bill that will compensate victims of wrongful convictions. 

The legislative session began in Jan. 14, and if it passes, victims will receive $50,000 for every year they spent behind bars, according to The Appeal.

Elmer Daniels is one of the people who was wrongfully convicted and served 40 years in prison for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl. Released in 2018, Daniels’ life has not been an easy one. He cannot get a decent job and lacks adequate skills to find a good job. He doesn’t have a driver’s license, which hampers his movements in search of a job.

Speaking to Appeal magazine, Daniels shared how hard his life has been.

“I think it’s important to understand that when you released me, you basically released me to nothing," Daniels said. "The reality of this is I’ve done nothing wrong, but I’m still paying for something that never happened."

If the bill passes, Daniels will receive $1.95 million.

Emeka Igwe, Daniels’ attorney, made some remarks regarding the current legal system.

“Right now in Delaware, there’s absolutely no process,” Igwe said. “So what the state is telling the citizens of Delaware is essentially we can convict someone wrongfully, have them spend many years in jail, and come out and absolutely have no remedy whatsoever in the courts. It’s fundamentally un-American.”