Huwe Burton

Christina Swarns, Executive Director of the Innocence Project

Christina Swarns, Huwe Burton

Christina Swarnes and exoneree Hugh Burton highlight critical structural failures in the criminal justice system, citing racial disparities in wrongful convictions and the absence of accountability for officials who secure false confessions. Their discussion emphasizes specific cases like *Buck v. Davis* and Burton's own 19-year incarceration to illustrate the urgent need for mandatory interrogation recording and systemic reforms driven by the post-George Floyd reckoning. Together, they argue that true safety requires local community accountability and robust support structures to assist individuals reintegrating after being wrongly convicted.