One victim of a miscarriage of justice jailed for ‘murder’ paid £37,000 for food and water
Ministers may backdate rule changes that would make wrongly-convicted prisoners exempt from paying for their bed and board.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk announced at the weekend that with immediate effect victims of miscarriages of justice would no longer have “living costs” deducted from any compensation payments they receive from the Government.
It follows the release of Andrew Malkinson who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit. His conviction was overturned last month after DNA linking another man to the crime was produced.
The latest reform has prompted calls for those already forced to pay out for their bed and board to be exempt, including Michael O’Brien, who spent 11 years in prison before his conviction was overturned for the murder of a Cardiff newsagent. He had £37,500 deducted for “food and water” while in jail.