It’s no secret the U.S. criminal justice system is failing people of color. But the issue is bigger and more horrific than people think. Here, Christina Swarns, a top criminal legal reform expert, discusses wrongful convictions, false confessions, plea deals, the critical role of DNA — and most important, what can be done to improve the system.

Christina Swarns has argued and won before the U.S. Supreme Court. She is the Executive Director of the Innocence Project, which gets wrongfully convicted people out of prison.