The state of Connecticut has awarded exoneree Kenneth Ireland $6 million in compensation for a wrongful rape and murder conviction that sent him to prison for 21 years. In 1989, Ireland was convicted for the 1986 rape and murder of Barbara Pelkey, a young mother of four, after three witnesses falsely implicated him for the crime. Ireland subsequently spent the majority of his adult life in maximum-security prisons, where he was in constant threat of inmate violence and confined primarily to his cell due to the nature of his conviction.
The Connecticut Innocence Project began investigating Ireland’s case in 2007. Two years later, new DNA testing of the crime scene evidence excluded Ireland as the perpetrator. He was granted a new trial and officially exonerated of all charges in August 2009.
Ireland will receive “$2.5 million for loss of liberty and enjoyment of life; $1.5 million for loss of earnings and earning capacity; $300,000 for loss of reputation; $1.5 million for physical and mental injuries; and $200,000 for costs and expenses.” This is the first award by the Office of the Claims Commissioner since Connecticut passed its wrongful incarceration compensation law in 2008.
Since his release from prison, Ireland has been widely recognized for his outstanding efforts to make a positive impact in his community. He has worked in public schools with troubled students and was recently hired by Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy to serve on the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles.
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