What Innocence Projects Do
Innocence projects are nonprofit legal organizations that investigate and litigate cases on behalf of people who claim they were wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit. Unlike traditional appeals that focus on legal errors, innocence projects focus on actual innocence — cases where the person in prison simply did not do what they were convicted of.
Since the Innocence Project was founded in 1992 by attorneys Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld at Cardozo School of Law, the broader innocence movement has grown to include more than 75 organizations across the United States, many affiliated with law schools or operating as standalone nonprofits. Together, these organizations have contributed to more than 200 DNA exonerations and hundreds more non-DNA exonerations.
Types of Cases Innocence Projects Accept
The national Innocence Project focuses specifically on cases where DNA evidence exists that was not tested at trial or that could be retested with modern technology. DNA exoneration is the most powerful form of innocence evidence because it is objective and definitive — and many convictions from the 1980s and 1990s involved biological evidence that was never subjected to the sophisticated testing now available.
Many state and regional innocence organizations take a broader range of cases — cases involving recanted witness testimony, newly discovered evidence of alternative perpetrators, false confessions obtained through coercive interrogation techniques, discredited forensic science (bite mark evidence, hair analysis, arson investigation methods that have since been shown to be unreliable), and jailhouse informant testimony that has since been revealed as fabricated. The specific case criteria vary by organization, so it is worth researching the innocence organizations active in your state.
What the Application Process Looks Like
Most innocence organizations have a formal intake process. Applications typically ask for a description of the conviction and the basis for the innocence claim, a summary of what happened at trial, information about prior appeals and post-conviction proceedings, and identification of any evidence that supports the innocence claim. Some organizations have online application portals; others require written letters.
The review process takes time — sometimes months. Organizations receive far more applications than they can accept and prioritize cases based on the strength of the innocence evidence, the availability of untested or re-testable biological evidence, and their capacity to take on new cases. A rejection does not mean your claim lacks merit — it may mean the organization did not have capacity or that your case did not match their specific criteria. Applying to multiple organizations is appropriate.
How to Strengthen Your Application
The strongest innocence project applications are specific and documented. Vague claims of innocence without supporting detail are less likely to receive a serious review than applications that identify specific evidence, specific witnesses whose testimony has changed, or specific forensic methods that have since been discredited. If biological evidence from your case exists and was not DNA tested — or was tested with older technology — that is the single most compelling fact to include.
Gather and organize everything before you apply: trial transcripts, court records, police reports if available, any statements from witnesses who have since recanted or come forward with new information, and any documentation of the evidence that exists. A well-organized application that clearly presents the basis for the innocence claim is more likely to receive a careful review.
Finding Innocence Organizations in Your State
The Innocence Network (innocencenetwork.org) maintains a directory of affiliated innocence organizations across the United States and internationally. Most states have at least one active innocence organization, and some states — California, Texas, New York, and Illinois — have multiple organizations with different case criteria and geographic focuses. The Innocence Project's website (innocenceproject.org) also provides guidance on how to apply and what to expect from the intake process.
For people who do not have biological evidence that can support DNA testing, state-based organizations with broader case criteria are often the more appropriate first contact. Law school innocence clinics, which operate at many law schools across the country, are another resource — they take cases as student clinic projects under attorney supervision, which means they can sometimes take cases that established organizations cannot.