For Victims Of Unjust Imprisonment, Budget Impasse Keeps Them Waiting
James Kluppelberg says he was freed with only the $14.70 he had in his prison account: "They opened the door and they said: 'Leave.'" Brian Mackey/NPR Illinois
Illinois’ budget stalemate has held up compensation for people who’ve been unjustly imprisoned. But on Thursday, a bipartisan group of state senators took a step toward fixing that.
James Kluppelberg spent nearly 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. But freedom presented its own challenges.
“I had $14 and I believe 70-some cents on my prison account at the time,” Kluppelberg said Thursday at a Senate hearing. “They handed that to me, and they opened the door and they said: ‘Leave.’”
Illinois law does provide for the truly innocent to be compensated — after a complicated legal process.
Kluppelberg got his payment in 2014, but the lack of a budget means at least 18 more recent exonorees are still waiting.
Legislation pending in the Senate would make sure those debts are paid even without a full budget. On Thursday, Senate Bill 1993 was approved in committee with unanimous bipartisan support.
Links
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