A good interview with Paul Blackburn this morning on BBC Radio 4. Very insightful. He was convicted at age 15 for the murder of a 9 year old. 25 years later his conviction was overturned. He described life inside, being prey for the older inmates and the staff, etc. He's been totally cleared, but nobody takes responsibilty or even says sorry. People see the appeal winners on the courtroom steps but never see what they have to go through afterwards; dark days of depression and many years of fighting for compensation. I imagine the government won't wait for their rent for board and lodging from innocent victims of the system, but they will really drag their feet when it comes to paying out. We have a disgracefully bad system here in the UK, and very little is being done about it. Paul Blackburn has to try and pick up the pieces after 25 wasted years, and gets no assistance from the government who stole those years from him.

It was broadcast around 9.30am - Saturday BBC Radio 4.
Anyone else hear it?

I've met Paul and felt he'd been terminally damaged by the awful miscarriage of justice.

Bob Woffinden has written an excellent piece on the tragic consequences - many more die or are ruined than the media ever tells us. Recent deaths include Sally Clark and Stefan Kiszko as well as Stuart Gair but the vast majority are ignored by society which hates to become aware that there are so many and such awful results.

We like to think that a quashed conviction is all that's needed. Rubbish. For a start, only the tiniest tip of the iceberg manages to get reversed judgements. The vast majority of wrongly jailed simply have to suffer.

And those who DO succeed usually have been damaged beyond repair.

Thank God I'm the exception that proves the rule and what's more, however my appeal goes, I fully intend to spend the rest of my life making everyone aware of what goes on.