In Wisconsin, a Year of Your Life Is Worth $5,000

In Wisconsin, a Year of Your Life Is Worth $5,000

"When innocent people are exonerated after wrongfully spending time in prison, some states pay money to the accused for their trouble. As data from NPR and the Innocence Project show, those payouts are often despicably low.

In Wisconsin, the stingiest state, you'd receive just $5,000 for every year you were locked up. For some perspective: if living in a dehumanizing hellhole as punishment for crimes you didn't commit were a nine-to-five job, they'd be paying you $2.40 an hour. If you're getting paid around the clock, your hourly rate is down to 57 cents."