Congratulations to Cassie Pacholski on her successful MA defence

Big congratulations to Cassie Pacholski on successfully defending her thesis, “Left Behind: Analyzing Women’s Experiences with Wrongful Conviction”.

Abstract

This thesis examines women’s wrongful convictions in the United States through an intersectional lens, addressing gaps in the literature that has largely relied on male samples and narrow offence types among women. Using data from the National Registry of Exonerations, this study analyzes 307 female exonerees across all crime types. Quantitative analyses assess the relationships between race, age, offence type, mechanisms of wrongful conviction, and compensation. Qualitative analyses supplement these findings, revealing gendered and racialized issues among wrongfully convicted women and the harms of wrongful incarceration and re-entry. Results indicate that women’s wrongful convictions are distinct from men’s, including disproportionate no-crime cases, differing mechanisms of wrongful convictions, gendered stereotypes, and significant racial disparities in mechanisms of wrongful conviction and legal outcomes. Findings demonstrate the need for updated, gender-responsive, and race-conscious wrongful conviction research and policy.

Once again, congratulations to Cassie on this outstanding achievement.