How did the State of Texas become a national leader in criminal-justice reforms pertaining to wrongful convictions especially in Capital cases by using unreliable jailhouse informants, and after having long accommodated some of the worst practices and abuses in the nation. The state, particularly in light of past abuses pertaining to jailhouse informants and snitches, in some cases leading to wrongful convictions and death penalty cases, deserves credit for seeking innovative solutions to problems that have long proved resistant to change; discuss what these changes are and when they were enacted.
a. Through the implementation of mandatory DNA testing in capital cases and the establishment of conviction integrity units.
b. By banning the use of eyewitness testimony in capital cases and introducing mandatory re-trials for all capital convictions.
c. Through the establishment of a statewide commission to review all capital cases and the introduction of lifetime sentences for wrongful convictions.
d. By implementing a system of compensating wrongfully convicted individuals and the introduction of harsher penalties for prosecutors involved in misconduct.