Innocence Project

The Innocence Project is a non-profit organization that is committed to exonerating wrongly convicted people through DNA testing and plans to help reform the criminal justice system to prevent future injustices from happening. It was founded in 1992 by Barry Shceck and Peter Neufeld.

The Innocence Project focuses on cases in which DNA evidence is available to be tested or retested. Other members of the Innocence Network also help to exonerate those whose cases do not have DNA testing available in their cases depending on many factors.

The work of the Innocence Project has helped free more than 362 wrongfully convicted people based on DNA, including 20 individuals who spent time on death row. Not only has exonerated innocent people but the DNA testing has put the people who actually committed the crime in prison. Some of the Innocence Project has led to the release of innocent people who were on death row.

More attention has been brought to The Innocence Project after the Netflix film “When They See Us” which tells the story of the Central Park Five who has since been named the exonerated five, after spending 7+ years in prison for a crime they did not commit.