JC Barnes

For the past few years, social scientists have been buzzing over a particular topic in molecular biology—gene regulation. The hype has been building steam for some time, but recently, it rocketed to the forefront of public discussion due to a widely circulated piece in the New Yorker. Articles on the topic are almost always fascinating: They often give the impression that this particular area of biology stands poised to solve huge mysteries of human development.

Rebecca Brown, director of state policy for the Innocence Project in New York, said Oklahoma is one of 30 states that have a law compensating the wrongfully convicted. While some states allow payment for each year the person spent in prison, Oklahoma is among those that have a flat amount: up to $175,000. “Another troubling provision in the Oklahoma law is that anyone who pled guilty to a crime will be barred from getting compensation. ...