Innocence Project - Work

Work

In the history of the United States there have been 292 post-conviction exonerations due to DNA testing According to the Innocence Project these statistics were found on those exonerated:

• The average sentence served thirteen years
• 70 percent exonerated are a part of minority groups
• 40 percent of these DNA cases were able to find the actual person who committed the crime.
• About 50 percent of those exonerated through DNA testing have been financially compensated for their time in prison. The federal government, 27 states, and Washington D.C. have passed laws providing some level of financial compensation to wrongfully convicted people
• The Innocence Project has had to close 22 percent of its cases because DNA evidence was missing or had been destroyed

There have been exoneration in Washington D.C and 35 states. There are innocence projects in the majority of the 50 states.

New York City is where the Innocence Project originated, but it accepts cases from any part of the United States. The majority of clients that are helped are those who are of low socio-economic status and have used all possible legal options for justice. Before investigating a case, clients undergo a screening process in order to figure out whether or not DNA testing will lead to a wrongful conviction. Many clients are hoping that DNA evidence will prove their innocence in their cases. With the emergence of DNA testing, those who have been wrongly convicted of a crime have been able to challenge their cases. The Innocence Project also works with the local, state and federal levels of law enforcement and legislators along with other programs to prevent further wrongful convictions.

About 3,000 prisoners write to the Innocence Project annually, and at any given time the Innocence Project is evaluating 6,000 to 8,000 potential cases.