Innocence Project

The Innocence Project is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1992 by attorneys Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck. Its mission is to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing, prevent future wrongful convictions, and advocate for reforms in the criminal justice system. The organization focuses on post-conviction appeals where DNA evidence can be tested, having successfully freed or exonerated over 200 individuals who collectively spent more than 3,600 years wrongfully incarcerated. The Innocence Project provides legal representation, engages in advocacy for systemic reforms, conducts research on wrongful convictions, and fosters community education to promote awareness and build a more equitable justice system. Through its efforts, the Innocence Project supports wrongfully convicted individuals, their families, and stakeholders in the criminal justice system, contributing to over 200 reforms at state and federal levels.