The case of the Central Park Five, now known as the Exonerated Five, exposes deep flaws in the U.S. criminal justice system, particularly racial prejudice, media bias, and coerced confessions. Influential figures such as Donald Trump further inflamed public outrage by calling for the death penalty, contributing to threats and hostility toward the teenagers and their families. Each of the five spent between 6 and 13 years in prison, losing their childhoods and suffering lasting emotional, mental, and social harm.