2006-10-29 14:24:10 · 16 answers · asked by flignar 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
Probably none. They have all done something if not the crime they were charged with.
2006-10-29 14:28:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I work in a jail and I would say about 10%-15% are either acquitted when they go to trail or the charges are dropped. In most cases, the charges are dropped. That doesn't means that the person is innocent, it just means that the District Attorney doesn't feel that there is enough evidence to convince a jury. Its extremely rare that a person in prison is innocent but it does happen. I've read stories about people confessing to crimes that they did not commit. At last count, about 130 inmate have walked off of Death Row because DNA evidence prove that they did not commit the crime.
2006-10-29 16:40:14 · answer #2 · answered by melissa p 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A very low percentage. Innocent people in jail gets hyped up by the media, and you do realize that we have more prisoners per capita than all other nations except China.
2006-10-29 14:26:36 · answer #3 · answered by Kevin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you are talking about recently arrested, innocent ones are noticed early and charges are dropped. further than that, the percentage is most likely extremely low due to convictions being based on "beyond a resonable doubt".
when i was a CO, every inmate i came across (in a prison of 4500), said they were definately in there for what they had done and that there were other crimes they had committed that were never discovered or they weren't convicted of.
i think the real question we should worry about is what percentage of criminals are free when they should have been caught?
2006-10-29 14:51:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question. but we'll never know that because the number would be so high the entire US justice system would be ruined and there wouldn't be any more law and that's worse than having innocent people in jail.
2006-10-29 14:28:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That statistic is very hard to give, because if there was a statistic for it, and it was proven they were actually innocent, they wouldn't be in jail, though one often wonders, especially about people on death row
2006-10-29 14:35:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask the prisioner and he'll tell you 100%.
In reality it's a minute percentage. Remember it's the judge and jury that put him there, not the police.
2006-11-01 04:58:08 · answer #7 · answered by Eddie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not many, but sadly some are too many.
On most, an innocent person with no money and only a public defence attorney, no money for expert witness, no money for a private investiagor to go question people.
They make a plea agreement, since the DA has enough to convict them even if they are not guilty. ( or at least it appears to be enough evidence and they are too scared to risk it)
But most are guilty.
2006-10-29 15:18:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
According to whom?
Your question reminds me of a similar one asked in the movie, The Shawshank Redemption.
2006-10-29 16:09:02 · answer #9 · answered by scruffycat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In jail? Unknown. In prison? zero.
2006-10-29 14:26:42 · answer #10 · answered by Jimmythekid 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ha ha. I was just watching Shawshanks Redemtion. According to them 'everyone is innocent'. But really, I don't think anyone could ever really know...
2006-10-29 14:32:39 · answer #11 · answered by Lexy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋