The University of New Hampshire Law Review
Abstract
By some estimates, tens of thousands of individuals are currently wrongfully convicted and serving time in the United States’ prison system for crimes they did not commit. Further concerning is that one of the most common reasons for these unjust outcomes rests with the use of jailhouse informants who often lie in exchange for time off their own sentences. While many other reasons exist for this epidemic, curtailing corrupt jailhouse snitches in order to reduce the harm they commit against innocent citizens is within our grasp. This Article purports to offer several solutions to reduce and in some cases eliminate the danger posed by these liars. It begins with the history of jailhouse informants and their role in the American Justice System. In then explains the devastating repercussions of wrongful convictions on the individual, their families, and society as a whole. Next the author lays out the current legal landscape at both the federal and state level as it pertains to the use of these informants by prosecutors as well as proposed solutions for reducing the possibility of wrongful convictions from occurring. Finally, the Article sets out its own proposals for ways jurisdictions can protect the integrity of our justice system through ensuring the accuracy of the testimony jailhouse witnesses provide. “Ultimately, from both an emotional and financial viewpoint, limiting snitches’ testimony from the onset addresses the harm they cause more effectively than forcing the wrongfully convicted to prove their innocence.
Repository Citation
23 U.N.H. L. Rev. 19 (2025).