How much would you ask for compensation if you were wrongly imprisoned for 5 years?

This is a tough question. I think when wrongful imprisonment occurs, no amount of money in the world could ever make up for the loss of freedom and time, the heartaches, loss of dignity, depression, and social rejection you experience as a result. How can you possibly put a price on being separated from family, friends, and other loved ones for such a great period of time for no reason at all?

How can money ever make up for the impressions your imprisonment has made on society. Chances are that upon returning to the world outside of prison, you will be regarded in a negative light, even after people become aware of the mistakes made by the law and other authorities. There would likely always be individuals out there (especially relatives and friends of the real offender, who refuse to believe that he/she was involved in the crime) who will continue to belief in your guilt.

Others will simply judge you negatively for being in a place and time that allowed you to become associated with the crime in question in the first place. At the very least, you will be viewed as a poor decision maker, not somebody who employers are seeking. Although you would expect people to understand and be empathetic to your misfortune (especially the well-educated individuals in our society who should be familiar with such grave mistakes), the fact is most people will still feel uncomfortable with the thought of you having spent years in prison.

They may even think that prison changed you as a person, after having been exposed to what some may view as a poisonous environment, and therefore see you as a liability. What if you were depressed or non-functional due to the false imprisonment? What if you learned things in prison that you would have otherwise never known about?

What if you made friends (other felons who truly did commit a crime) in prison and were plotting a revenge against those who wrongfully accused you and ruined your life? The fact remains, that many people who learned about your situation would still feel somewhat uncomfortable having you around even after they knew you were innocent. So to return to your primary question: How much would you want in compensation for wrongful imprisonment?

Well, I guess the daily rate of $110 is a good start and should cover some expenses upon being released from prison, especially if you have a hard time finding a job after getting out. But that is simply not the whole picture. The compensation I would ask for would be non-monetary, but would include the proper restoration of my personal life.

I would ask for whoever put me behind bars to make a public announcement (and apology) about my innocence and to help me find work and eradicate any negative image in society. I would also ask that any proof of me ever having been imprisoned be eradicated from all existing records, so that no background check could ever indicate my past. Of course, I have no idea how it would even be possible to complete these tasks successfully, since all the media announcements in the world cannot impact all the personal opinions and impressions of people across the nation.

Since the question is speculative, and not asking what is the legal allotment, my answer is this. My heart aches at the mention of living without my family for 5 years. Thats the rest of my son's childhood.

I miss teaching him to drive, taking the picture of him and his date at prom. I miss high school graduation and helping him apply to college. I miss the first time he has to shave and all his varsity football games.

None of which I could ever replace. I would lose my job, which I do enjoy. I would lose dignity, my respect and self worth.

All because of a "mistake". So the burning question of what is all that worth to me? There is no price, no dollar amount that even come close to compensating me for what I have lost.

What I would expect however is enough to regain a moderate lifestyle. I would expect my son's college tuition to be paid for, especially if it were a state college. I would expect enough monetarily to rebuild the life I have now.

Including house, job, conveniences. And my expectations are more than a mere $110 a day. A public apology would also be very nice, as I'm sure that my reputation in the community was shattered along with my family's.

Ohh I would be so angry when I got out and I would sue every person who had a hand in putting me there. I would put a huge price tag on it (my time there) and then I would find a worthwhile charity to donate it too. I would also write the book on it, and name names etc.. I would do my best to right the wrong... but no amount of money could ever replace the time I had lost with my family.

My demand for compensation will have two factors; 1. (The maximum I could earn per day on the day I was released had I not been imprisoned and had I not lost my reputation) x (1825 days) + 2. The same amount for spending 5 years in humiliation, discomfort, sufferings etc.+ 3.

All the charges I paid to my lawyer + 4. Court's order to get back my old job which I had lost due to imprisonment.It it was a business, then the amount to re-establish the business again. + 5.

Other compensations admissible to me. That's all. Thanks.

$200,750.00 is what you should ask for it equals $110.00 a day witch the syate pays wrongful inprisonment.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.