What's in a Name? The Impact of Labels on Attitudes Toward Exonerees

Abstract

As exonerations have increased, so too has research into exonerees’ post-release challenges, including stigma, discrimination, mental illness, and inadequate support. In so doing, researchers and advocates have described this population in varied ways, which may elicit differing attitudes. To explore that possibility, 188 citizens read a tweet in which we varied the label ascribed to a newly released prisoner (i.e., wrongly convicted, exonerated, innocent, or control), then reported their attitudes. Contrary to expectation, different labels did not produce different judgements of the individual’s character, criminality, or deservingness of support, which were consistently significantly more favourable for exonerees (regardless of label) than other formerly incarcerated people (control). Troubling, however, was that the terms wrongly convicted, exonerated, and innocent still led to some concerns that the individual was somehow involved in—or had committed—the crime for which he was erroneously convicted, that he may have committed other crimes in the past, and that he might commit crimes in the future.  Implications are discussed in terms of stigma theory, growing media attention to wrongful convictions, and the disconnect between public and government support for post-release services.