EXONERATED prisoners should be supported after stints in prison in the same way guilty inmates are, according to a leading justice organisation.
The Glasgow-based Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (MOJO) has today launched a campaign calling for innocent people to be given better support to cope with the trauma of wrongful convictions.
Staff at MOJO say guilty prisoners who have served time in jail receive better support to get on with life outside than those who were wrongfully imprisoned, and are planning a European-wide tour to raise awareness of the cause.
The Say I'm Innocent campaign will involve showing a documentary about MOJO, which is due to be screened on television next month, in venues across the EU.
Organisers hope it will encourage people to get involved with MOJO, become aware of the problems faced by wrongfully convicted people, and put their plight into the spotlight.
Paul Mclaughlin, a project manager at the organisation based on the Saltmarket, said: " We have launched the campaign in conjunction with the film makers, and the Sunny Centre in Cork, which has been set up specifically to help the wrongfully convicted.
"There is a failure to provide support specifically for the wrongfully convicted. It's not just an issue in Scotland. We received support form the Scottish Government in relation to the justice issue, but not necessarily in relation to healthcare and psychological care for these people.
" We want people to recognise this is an issue in every jurisdiction which deals with miscarriages of justice.
"We think that on release, a psychological assessment should be done and make sure support mechanisms are put in place at that point."
Mr McLaughlin said the strain and trauma of being put in prison for a crime you did not commit can be massive, however there is still more support for prisoners who are guilty on release from jail.
MOJO's ideal solution would be eventually to establish a centre, similar to one that has already been set up in Cork, Ireland, which would act as a support and advice centre for those who have suffered miscarriages of justice.
The Irish service, named the Sunny Centre, was set up by Sonia 'Sunny' Jacobs and Peter Pringle, a couple who both spent time on death row for murders they did not commit.
Sunny was imprisoned for 17 years in America and Peter spent 15 years behind bars in Ireland in separate, but very similar, cases.
In 1976, Sunny was placed on death row in Florida for the murder of two police officers and four years later Peter was also sentenced to death for the murder of two officers of the Garda Síochána, the Irish police force, in Dublin.
They were both later found innocent and released.
Mr McLaughlin said: "It has been an idea that we've had for a long time - to establish some kind of centre where people can be referred to initially to get intense psychological support initially, then spread that out over time.
"We are hoping the Say I'm Innocent campaign can help us raise awareness of what people go through, and we hope that organisations who are interested in screening the film and hosting an event will get in touch."
Anyone who is interested in hosting a screening of the documentary can contact MOJO on info@miscarriagesofjustice.org, or visit www.sayiminnocent.com for more information.
A crowdfunding page has also been set up to help raise money to take the documentary across Europe. To donate, visit www.crowdjustice.com/case/sayiminnocent/
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