The Innocence Project
Source: https://innocenceproject.org/
Founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the Innocence Project is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing and other scientific advancements, and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.
Studies estimate that between 2.3% and 5% of all prisoners in the U.S. are innocent (for context, if just 1% of all prisoners are innocent, that would mean that more than 20,000 innocent people are in prison).
Prior to its founding, there was a widespread belief that the criminal legal system was “infallible,” and with it, a lack of understanding surrounding wrongful conviction. Through their work over the years, the project has identified several basic patterns and common reasons for wrongful conviction, such as: Eyewitness Misidentification, Misapplication of Forensic Science, False Confessions, Inadequate Defense, and others.
An overwhelming majority of wrongfully convicted people are Black and Latinx. These communities experience systemic discrimination, including disparate treatment by police, prosecutors, and other criminal legal system actors.
Since their inception, the project has helped to free or exonerate hundreds of wrongfully convicted people, pass transformative state laws and federal reforms, and advance the innocence movement.
Nearly 200 people have been exonerated from death row, reflecting the very serious risk of executing innocent people!
Their team is comprised of a community of empathetic, open-minded, and creative individuals who are passionate about driving necessary change in the criminal justice system.
The Innocence Project receives 44% of their funding from individuals, 31% from foundations, 12% from their annual benefit dinner, and 3% from the Cardozo School of Law, and most of the rest from corporations. Nearly 80% of the funds go directly to the Innocence Project’s programs to free and protect the innocent and to prevent wrongful convictions.
The Innocence Project is a U.S. tax exempt organization. To learn more, go to: https://innocenceproject.org/
