The Innocence Project, a national litigation and public policy organization based at the Cardozo Law School of Yeshiva University, is dedicated to exonerating people wrongfully convicted through DNA testing and other scientific advances, and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustices. The Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) is a branch of this organization that works to free innocent men and women unjustly imprisoned in Illinois for crimes they did not commit. They investigate and provide legal representation to prove claims of innocence, as well as collaborate with law enforcement agencies, legislators, and other programs to prevent wrongful convictions. Every year, thousands of prisoners write to the Innocence Project. At any given time, the organization evaluates between 6,000 and 8,000 potential cases.
By entering your phone number, you can receive regular text messages from the Innocence Project. In nearly half of the cases addressed by the Innocence Project, DNA testing reconfirms clients' culpability. Since its inception, the Innocence Project has handled a variety of cases. Of all the cases handled by the Innocence Project to date, around 43% of clients were proven innocent, 42% confirmed guilty, and evidence was inconclusive or evidentiary in 15% of cases. The Innocence Project strives to correct systemic problems through strategic litigation, policy reforms, education, research, and promotional activities related to the causes of wrongful convictions.
