The United States of America holds the unenviable record in wrongful convictions. It is on record that since 1989, about 2,400 persons jailed were eventually exonerated. Thirty-six states and Washington, DC, now have laws that offer compensation for exonerees. The federal standard to compensate those who are wrongfully convicted is a minimum of $50,000 per year of incarceration, plus an additional amount for each year spent on death row. But can financial compensation make up for lost years? How do such individuals pull through without breaking down mentally? Anthony Ray Hinton’s case offers some insight. He spent 30 years of his life on death row. He was arrested and charged with two-count first-degree murder. He protested his innocence to the detective who arrested him. Surprisingly, the officer said that he didn’t care whether he shot the victim or not, but he was going to make sure he was convicted, and sure he did. It took 30 years before new evidence emerged. At retrial, he was found innocent.
With a sound, strong spirit, anyone can overcome unjust and difficult situations.
Anthony’s resolve was shaped by his upbringing. His mother taught him never to quit in any situation. That came in handy in those trying periods of his life. He overcame the temptation to be bitter with a personal philosophy, he knew that bitterness kills the soul. The scripture is true when it says, “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?” Proverbs 18:14 NKJV. With a sound, strong spirit, anyone can overcome unjust and difficult situations.
