Manufacturing Guilt (2nd edition): Wrongful Convictions in Canada

While acknowledging that innocent mistakes in identification are sometimes responsible for wrongful convictions, the authors of this study argue that the fundamental cause of these sentences can be found in the racial and class inequalities that characterize much of Canadian society. This newly revised edition presents updates on the six cases originally documented as well as two new chapters with more-recent investigations—including a depiction of a man who was wrongfully executed. Demonstrating that the same factors at play in the criminalization of the powerless and marginalized are found in these cases, this argument strives to prove that contrary to popular belief, these verdicts are not due simply to “unintended errors” but rather are too often the result of the deliberate actions of those working in the criminal justice system. Analyzing how forensic science is used as a resource for prosecutors rather than a science seeking justice, this reference suggests specific and achievable changes in order to remove the incentive for law enforcement to attain convictions, thereby preventing erroneous punishment in the future.