Illinois establishes Conviction Integrity Unit to review cases of possible wrongful convictions

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has announced the creation of a new unit dedicated to investigating potential wrongful convictions across the state.

The Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) will primarily support state attorneys in counties that do not have their own teams for reviewing wrongful convictions.

It will focus on cases involving forcible felony convictions in Illinois state courts, reviewing only cases where new evidence not previously considered has been presented.

If the CIU determines that a person is innocent, it will work with local state attorneys to secure relief and identify the actual perpetrator.

This initiative follows scrutiny of Cook County’s own unit. 

The unit’s former head resigned last year after allegations surfaced that exonerating evidence was withheld in a high-profile case. 

Cook County's newly elected State's Attorney, Eileen O'Neill Burke, has expressed her intent to collaborate with Attorney General Kwame Raoul on this statewide effort.

The new CIU has been in development since Raoul assumed office in 2019 and will be funded by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office along with a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.