Resources: Innocence Projects

NMIJP’s primary mission is to provide assistance and referrals to people wrongfully convicted in our state. NMIJP is an independent organization, and has no affiliation with any other project in New Mexico. They will be opening to review and refer cases soon. In the meantime, please direct questions or concerns to info@nmijp.org. Serves New Mexico only. 

The North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2006 and is charged with providing an independent and balanced truth-seeking forum for credible post-conviction claims of innocence in North Carolina. The Commission is separate from the appeals process. A person exonerated by the Commission process is declared innocent and cannot be re-tried again. Serves North Carolina only.

Accepts cases of actual innocence in Ohio; DNA and non-DNA cases; no sentence requirements. Only serves prisoners in Ohio.

The Oklahoma Innocence Project accepts cases of actual innocence in Oklahoma; DNA and non-DNA cases; no sentence requirements. Must have credible evidence of factual innocence and be convicted in Oklahoma state court (no federal convictions). Serves Oklahoma only.

Focuses on claims of actual innocence or contentions of serious injustice in the criminal process exist. Must have at least 3 years left on sentence; conviction/appeals are final; and new evidence of innocence, such as DNA evidence, key trial witness recantation (e.g. change in testimony), or other credible evidence substantially affecting the case result. Serves South Carolina only.

Accepts cases of wrongful conviction and actual innocence for felony convictions that were previously assigned to OAD on appeal. Cases are randomly assigned by the court, and consist of indigent defendants who were convicted in the Bronx and Manhattan. OAD’s Reinvestigation Project works on DNA and non-DNA wrongful conviction cases and does not have any sentence requirements. At this time, the Reinvestigation Project is not funded to accept cases that have not been assigned to the office on direct appeal.

Accepts cases of actual innocence in New York; DNA and non-DNA cases (specializes in non-DNA); no sentence requirements.

Free investigative and legal services to the convicted innocent of New Jersey who have substantial claims of factual innocence and are willing to cooperate with requests aimed at discovering the truth. Serves New Jersey only.

The University of Baltimore Innocence Project Clinic seeks to identify individuals who have been convicted in Maryland state courts of crimes they did not commit and to provide them with assistance in the investigation of their claims. In appropriate cases, representation will be provided in post-trial litigation efforts to secure exonerations. Accepts cases of actual innocence in Maryland; DNA and non-DNA cases. Serves Maryland only.

In order to qualify for representation, a prisoner must: Be wrongly convicted of crimes in Washington; be unable to afford counsel; no longer have the right to appointed counsel; have completed the direct appeals process; have at least three years of prison time remaining to be served; have a claim of actual innocence that can be proven through DNA testing or other newly discovered evidence; and have no involvement in the crime whatsoever. Must have been convicted in Washington state to qualify.

The Wisconsin Innocence Project (WIP) is a clinic at the University of Wisconsin Law School.  WIP reviews cases of actual innocence. Must be incarcerated in Wisconsin, have at least seven years left of your sentence, and have a significant chance that substantial new evidence may be found to support a claim of innocence. This newly discovered evidence (NDE) could be physical evidence that was not previously subjected to forensic examination, such as DNA testing.  NDE may also include non-physical evidence, such as from an eyewitness who was previously unknown or a recantation from a victim, if such a recantation is supported by other new evidence. Serves Wisconsin only.