Commissioners Approve Acceptance of Grant for Prosecutor Tyack to Establish Conviction Integrity Unit

Posted on 1/25/2022

Defendant:

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners authorized the Prosecutor’s Office to accept a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance within Department of Justice in the amount of $551,727 for the establishment of a Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) within the office at the General Session meeting this morning. The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office applied for and was subsequently awarded the three-year grant in order to supplement funding the staff, equipment, and post-conviction DNA testing necessary to pursue credible claims submitted for review.

This grant is key to the establishment of the CIU as it provides funding to assist in establishing the program. Because it’s a grant, it in no way diminishes existing office resources or funds. It instead allows the office to institute what is a very common form of check and balance on the criminal justice system. The creation of this specialized, independent unit will place Franklin County at the forefront of the national conviction integrity initiative by being one of the first one hundred agencies to create such a unit.

The creation of a new unit, especially one as intricate as a CIU, is a lengthy process and it cannot be done overnight. The goal is to begin taking cases in the first quarter of 2023, once all the appropriate staff, policies, and procedures are in place. The process of a case being reviewed will also include an independent panel of community leaders and appropriately experienced professionals who will participate in the review. In closing, a sincere thanks is due the Commissioners for authorizing the acceptance of this grant which will help to bring Franklin County a step further to making the criminal justice system more robust and equitable.

Prosecutor Tyack, who made a commitment to the community in 2020 to establish such a unit, stated, “When we set out on this journey, I promised to ensure this was one of our priorities during our administration. I’m grateful to the members of the staff who have put in the work to make this grant a reality, ensuring we’re leaving no stone unturned when it comes to exploring funding opportunities for critical initiatives. This saves Franklin County taxpayers dollars that can be spent on other critical services like our first responders and other social services. I’m proud to continue to push the creation of this important unit forward in the coming months.” 

“Real justice requires a system that doesn’t incarcerate the innocent. We have a responsibility to get it right, since the results can have a deleterious impact. Justice also requires us to find ways to reconcile wrongs when they occur within the justice system” said Board of Commissioners President Erica C. Crawley. “If immediate justice is not possible, then it is incumbent upon us to take every action to correct injustices in the extremely unfortunate circumstance that they occur. Having staff dedicated to reviewing convictions when there is evidence that could lead to someone’s innocence is about transparency and helps build trust within the community. I’m proud to support the new Conviction Integrity Unity and look forward to following its progress as it improves our criminal justice system.”