Here are the stories of the 13 men who were wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death in Illinois since 1977.

Illinois's exoneration rate of 4.9% is the highest in the nation. But other states have a problem as well. From Senator Patrick Leahy's statement today on the blanket clemency order:

Some opponents of reform will argue that Illinois is a special case. But in fact the only thing special about Illinois is that its governor took a hard look at the system. This is far more than 'an Illinois problem.' The death penalty system is fundamentally flawed nationwide. That is why we need national reforms to prevent the sort of terrible choices that governors now face. The bipartisan Innocence Protection Act is a modest and practical package of reforms. Last year more than half the entire House of Representatives cosponsored it. But the House Republican leadership would not allow even a committee vote on it, let alone a debate. The Illinois cases are a wake-up call, telling Congress and the Administration that reforms are urgently needed."