BOSTON (WWLP) – A briefing at the state house Wednesday took on the subject of wrongful convictions.

Wednesday exonerees spoke about their wrongful convictions and how difficult it has been to be fairly compensated for the time they spent in prison. There are three bills on Beacon Hill that would revamp the State’s Wrongful Conviction Compensation laws. Two exonerees spoke about their time in prison and on parole, and how the state does not provide enough services to help them transition.

Frances Choy was charged with arson and two counts of first degree murder at the age of 17. She was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. In 2020, her conviction was vacated and she has had to rebuild her life from the ground up.

Milton Jones was wrongly convicted of second-degree murder in 1976, and sentenced to life in prison. He spent 15 years incarcerated and 30 years on parole before he was exonerated. They both have not received any compensation from the state.

“You can’t pay for this, there’s not a number that would be enough to pay for the harm it caused,” Jones says, “Again, PTSD is alive and well, I’m okay, but I’m not alright, you see what I mean, so there’s a difference.”

The legislation being advocated for takes on many aspects of life after release for a wrongful conviction with such things as providing automatic and immediate assistance upon release from a wrongful conviction, lessening the burden of proof, and it would also remove the one million dollar cap on compensation.

All three bills currently sit in the judiciary committee and have not been scheduled for a hearing