INNOCENCE PROJECT INC
40 WORTH STREET SUITE 701, NEW YORK, NY 10013 www.innocenceproject.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE INNOCENCE PROJECT, INC. (IP) IS A NATIONAL NONPROFIT WITH THE MISSION TO FREE INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WRONGLY CONVICTED AND REFORM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO PREVENT FUTURE INJUSTICE. THE IP HAS HELPED EXONERATE OVER 220 PEOPLE, A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF WHOM ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR AND SOME WHO WERE SENTENCED TO DEATH. CUMULATIVELY, THEY SPENT THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN PRISON FOR CRIMES THEY DID NOT COMMIT, AND IN MANY CASES, THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY COMMITTED THE CRIME WENT ON TO COMMIT OTHERS. THE IP IS DEDICATED TO RESEARCHING, ANALYZING AND EDUCATING STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PUBLIC ON THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS AND OTHER SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS. THE IP WORKS TO PASS LAWS AND PREVENT THE ADMISSIBILITY OF UNRELIABLE, NON-SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO PREVENT FUTURE MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE. FOUNDED IN 1992 AS A CLINIC AT CARDOZO SCHOOL OF LAW AT YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, THE IP INCORPORATED AS A 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION IN 2004, THOUGH IT MAINTAINS AN AFFILIATION WITH CARDOZO.

DEDICATED TO EXONERATING THE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED AND REFORMING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

LEGAL SERVICES (INCLUDES LEGAL, INTAKE AND SOCIAL WORK): THE INNOCENCE PROJECT LEVERAGES THE FACT-FINDING SCIENCE OF DNA TESTING TO EXPOSE ERRORS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND TO EXONERATE PEOPLE IN PRISON OR ON DEATH ROW FOR CRIMES THEY DID NOT COMMIT. TO DETERMINE WHICH CASES WE CAN ACCEPT, OUR STEADFAST INTAKE TEAM REVIEWED 1806 LETTERS IN FISCAL YEAR 2020 FROM INCARCERATED PEOPLE REQUESTING INVESTIGATION INTO THEIR INNOCENCE CLAIMS. THE TEAM THEN CONDUCTS AN IN-DEPTH EVALUATION OF THE CASES TO DETERMINE WHETHER DNA TESTING CAN PROVE INNOCENCE AND PRESENTS THEM TO OUR LEGAL TEAM TO MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION OF WHICH CASES TO ACCEPT. ONCE CASES ARE ACCEPTED, OUR STAFF ATTORNEYS WORK WITH CARDOZO LAW SCHOOL CLINIC STUDENTS TO INVESTIGATE THE CASES, TO FIND BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE AND TO GAIN ACCESS TO POST-CONVICTION TESTING THROUGH AGREEMENTS OR COURT ORDERS. WHEN DNA RESULTS PROVE OUR CLIENTS' INNOCENCE, WE SEEK THEIR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, WE EXONERATED 4 INDIVIDUALS OF CRIMES THEY DID NOT COMMIT AND WORKED TO FREE MANY MORE. TO DATE THE INNOCENCE PROJECT HAS HELPED FREE MORE THAN 220 PEOPLE. FOR EACH EXONERATION CASE, INNOCENCE PROJECT SOCIAL WORKERS HELPED CLIENTS REUNITE WITH THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO SECURE HOUSING, DAY-TO-DAY TRANSPORTATION, CRITICAL MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CARE, AND SUPPORT IN FINDING EMPLOYMENT. THE INNOCENCE PROJECT REPRESENTED 170 CLIENTS AND THE SOCIAL WORK TEAM WORKED WITH 19 FORMER CLIENTS DURING THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2020.

POLICY: THE INNOCENCE PROJECT WORKS WITH CONGRESS, STATE LEGISLATURES AND COURTS, EXECUTIVE AGENCIES, LOCAL LEADERS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PASS LAWS, POLICIES, AND RULES TO REVEAL AND PREVENT WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS. OUR POLICY PRIORITIES REFLECT THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM DNA EXONERATIONS AND ADDRESS THE CONTRIBUTORS TO WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS, WHICH INCLUDE EYEWITNESS MISIDENTIFICATION, UNVALIDATED AND IMPROPER FORENSIC SCIENCE, FALSE CONFESSIONS, INCENTIVIZED WITNESSES, GOVERNMENT MISCONDUCT, AND INADEQUATE DEFENSE. THE INNOCENCE PROJECT WORKS TO ENSURE FAIR ACCESS TO POST-CONVICTION DNA TESTING AND PRESERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR TESTING, AS WELL AS LEGAL MECHANISMS FOR INNOCENT PEOPLE SEEKING RELIEF THROUGH NEW NON-DNA EVIDENCE. WE WORK TO IMPLEMENT POLICE PRACTICE REFORM, FROM IMPROVED IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES TO THE RECORDING OF CUSTODIAL INTERROGATIONS. THE POLICY DEPARTMENT ALSO EDUCATES SYSTEM PLAYERS ABOUT THE HUMAN FACTORS THAT AFFECT CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS, FROM RACIAL AND IMPLICIT BIAS TO TUNNEL VISION. IN ADDITION, WE ADVOCATE FOR LAWS THAT FAIRLY COMPENSATE EXONERATED PEOPLE SO THAT THEY HAVE THE FINANCIAL FOOTING AND OTHER SUPPORT THEY NEED AND DESERVE TO RESTART THEIR LIVES. IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 31, 2020, THE INNOCENCE PROJECT HAD 10 LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES.FORENSIC SCIENCE POLICY: THE MISAPPLICATION OF FORENSIC SCIENCE CONTRIBUTED TO ALMOST HALF OF THE WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN CLEARED THROUGH DNA TESTING IN THE UNITED STATES. TO ADDRESS THIS DIRE ISSUE, THE INNOCENCE PROJECT CONTRACTS WITH CONSULTANTS AND LOBBYISTS TO URGE CONGRESS AND EXECUTIVE AGENCIES TO SUPPORT RESEARCH THAT WILL VALIDATE FORENSIC DISCIPLINES AND SET SMART AND CONSISTENT STANDARDS AROUND THEIR USE IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS AND IN COURT. WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO IMPROVE FORENSIC SCIENCE OVERSIGHT AND REVIEW AT THE STATE LEVEL THROUGH ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE-BASED FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSIONS. IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2020, WE RESPONDED TO REQUESTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR COMMENTS ON VARIOUS PROJECTS, INCLUDING PROPOSED GUIDANCE FOR UNIFORM STANDARDS FOR TESTIMONY AND REPORTING.

SCIENCE AND RESEARCH: THE INNOCENCE PROJECT PROVIDES RESOURCES TO ASSIST RESEARCHERS, LAWYERS, JOURNALISTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INTERESTED IN WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS. THESE RESOURCES INCLUDE STATISTICS ABOUT EXONERATION CASES, SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEWS OF SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS, EVALUATION OF FORENSIC SCIENCE METHODS, ANALYSES OF SPECIAL TOPICS, AND IDEAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2020, WE PRESENTED RESEARCH FINDINGS AT 5 NATIONAL MEETINGS AND PARTICIPATED IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND REVIEW PROCESS OF 19 STANDARDS RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE.

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