Good news for 08/22/20 - The innocence project is 28 years old and has helped exonerate over 2,600 people who were wrongfully convicted.

I received this letter from the Innocence Project yesterday, 08/21/20. I have supported the Innocence Project for years and their work is truly outstanding freeing people from prison who have been wrongfully convicted. As  a Unitarian Universalists I covenant with others to affirm and promote  justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. There are few better ways that to support the people working with the innocence project to achieve this vision.

David — Monday marks 28 years of the Innocence Project. It’s humbling to look back and see that the small legal clinic we started together is now on the front lines of the growing movement to fight for the wrongfully convicted, nearly three decades later. The two of us met as public defenders at the Legal Aid Society in the Bronx. Along with a team of students, we learned about DNA methods through our work in the 1980s on the case of Marion Coakley — a man who was wrongly convicted of rape and robbery. The Innocence Project clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law began with two simple ideas: If DNA technology could prove people guilty of crimes, it could also prove that people who had been wrongfully convicted were innocent. And when we proved people innocent, we could start identifying the root causes of wrongful convictions to fix a broken system — collect data, pass legislation, reform case law, publicize the work, and replicate the model across the United States and abroad. Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck in 1989. Photo by Barbara Alper. Since our launch, the Innocence Project has helped exonerate more than 220 innocent people. Through the brave efforts of our clients and brilliant, idealistic colleagues, there are now 68 Innocence Network member organizations in 13 countries and over 2,600 exonerations in the US. We’re so proud of what this team has been able to do, and we know it wouldn’t be possible without the people who have given generously over the years to fund this work. Your support has made this work possible — thank you. For the Innocence Project’s 28th birthday, we’re asking you to make a donation to help make sure we can keep fighting for the innocent for another 28 years and beyond. There is still so much work to be done in the months and years to come to develop the most scientifically rigorous, reliable methods so that we can get to the truth. We’re focused on addressing root causes of wrongful convictions like racial bias and police misconduct. And we couldn’t keep fighting without the support of our community. We’re so grateful for everyone who has helped — in big ways and small — throughout the last 28 years to get us where we are today. Here’s to 28 more. Thank you, Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld Innocence Project Co-Founders and Special Counsel Donate