We also partnered with co-counsel, community leaders, advocates, and activists to stop the execution of Pervis Payne in November 2021. Additionally, in January 2022, we joined Melissa Lucio’s legal team and helped develop evidence of her innocence, which successfully led to a stay of her execution in April 2022, just two days before she was set to be executed.
Since our inception, we have pioneered the use of DNA technology to unequivocally prove innocence. In cases where DNA evidence was no longer available or where our attorneys uncovered other new evidence of innocence (from misapplied forensic methods to police and prosecutorial misconduct), we secured our clients’ freedom based on new non-DNA evidence. Recognizing that DNA evidence is only available in a limited number of cases and that the overwhelming majority of the nation’s more than 3,200 proven wrongful convictions were obtained with non-DNA evidence, we plan to widen the scope of cases we accept to intentionally include more non-DNA cases.
Ron Jacobsen was wrongly convicted of a 1990 abduction and rape in Covington, Georgia, despite the fact he was 200 miles away when the crime occurred. Although post-conviction DNA testing confirmed that he was not the person who committed the crime and his conviction was vacated in 2019, the prosecutor vowed to retry him. In November 2020, he was released on bail. He moved back to his native New York, where he lived under home confinement with his older sister. He was officially exonerated in August 2021, when the district attorney’s office finally dropped all charges against him. Mr. Jacobsen was represented by the Innocence Project and Georgia Innocence Project.
Image: Justin Chan / Innocence Project
In 2008, Philip Barnett , along with his brother Nathan and two other co-defendants, was wrongly convicted of the murder of a young woman in Cabell County, West Virginia. After the state’s Supreme Court ordered a new trial for the Barnett brothers in 2010, the two accepted a plea deal that allowed them to maintain their innocence and receive a lesser sentence. DNA testing of crime scene evidence ultimately proved the four individuals’ innocence. Philip Barnett was represented by the Innocence Project and Weston Robertson.
Image: Chris Jackson for AP Images / Innocence Project
Kenneth Hovland was just 21 years old when he was wrongly convicted of the 1981 murder of a teenager in Lynwood, Washington. His conviction was based on a false confession and unreliable forensic methods that included bite marks, hair microscopy, and fiber “matching.” In October 2021, he was released following negotiations with the prosecutor’s office. The Washington Innocence Project currently represents him, with support from the Innocence Project.
Muhammad A. Aziz and the late Khalil Islam were wrongly convicted in 1966 of the 1965 assassination of human rights leader Malcolm X in New York City, based on unreliable eyewitness testimony and official misconduct. Mr. Aziz was not released on parole until 1985 and continued to fight for justice until his exoneration last year. Mr. Islam passed away in 2009, losing the opportunity to see his name cleared. Both men were represented by David B. Shanies Law Office and the Innocence Project.
Muhammad A. Aziz (top) and Khalil Islam (bottom). Images: Associated Press
In 1995, Anthony Dixon was wrongly convicted of a rape and robbery that had taken place two years prior in Harrisonville, Missouri. His conviction was based on eyewitness and voice misidentification. Although DNA testing later proved his innocence, Missouri courts refused to exonerate him. In December 2021, Mr. Dixon was paroled and walked free after spending 28 years wrongly imprisoned. He is represented by the Innocence Project and Midwest Innocence Project .
Michael Monroe spent more than 27 years in prison after he was wrongly convicted of the 1993 murder of his mother-in-law in Nashua, New Hampshire. His conviction was based on a false confession he gave to police after being interrogated over the course of 17 months. He was released on parole in 2022 after the state parole board heard compelling arguments on his declining health, exemplary disciplinary history, and tremendous familial support. He is represented by the Innocence Project.
Barry Jacobson was wrongly convicted of setting fire to his home in Richmond, Massachusetts, in a biased 1983 trial, during which jurors made antisemitic remarks about him. His conviction was based on unreliable arson evidence and a baseless claim that he was seeking to collect insurance money, despite no claim ever being filed. In January 2022, the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office vacated Mr. Jacobson’s conviction based on the evidence of antisemitism during trial and jury deliberations. Mr. Jacobson was represented by the Innocence Project and McDermott Will & Emery LLP.
Image: Matthew Adams Photography / Innocence Project
Mallory Nicholson spent 21 years in prison after he was wrongly convicted of a burglary and sexual assault in Dallas. His conviction was based on eyewitness misidentification, despite the fact that no physical evidence connected him to the crime and strong alibi evidence was presented at his trial. In June 2022, a judge granted the Dallas County district attorney’s motion to dismiss the charges following the discovery of evidence that pointed to another suspect in the case, which police and prosecutors had failed to turn over at his trial . Mr. Nicholson was represented by the Innocence Project, the Innocence Project of Texas , and Udashen Anton.
Image: Ron Jenkins / Innocence Project Rebuilding LivesThanks to the generosity of our donors, we expanded our social work team and increased assistance — including housing, transportation, basic necessities, and more — to more than 20 freed clients and their families.
Glen Woodall, the first Innocence Project client, is exonerated.
With the Innocence Project and Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project’s assistance, Marvin Anderson is exonerated after DNA samples from his case are found taped inside a laboratory analyst’s notebook. A subsequent review of evidence from the analyst’s notebooks leads to eight additional exonerations.
Image: Kenny Karpov / Innocence Project
The Innocence Project secures the exoneration of Kennedy Brewer, who was sentenced to death based on invalid bite mark comparison evidence. DNA testing identified the actual person who committed the crime, which led to the exonerations of both Mr. Brewer and Levon Brooks, the latter of whom had been serving a life sentence for a related murder and was also represented by the Mississippi Innocence Project.
Represented by the Innocence Project and O’Carroll & O’Carrol l, Michelle Murphy is exonerated after DNA testing proves her innocence. She is the first of a growing number of women proven innocent by the Innocence Project, and later becomes a member of the Innocence Project’s Exoneree Advisory Council and an active speaker on wrongful convictions.
Image: Kenny Karpov / Innocence Project
Pervis Payne, who has strong claims of innocence, is removed from death row on the same day Muhammad Aziz and the late Khalil Islam are exonerated 55 years after being wrongly convicted of the assassination of Malcolm X.
Image: Laramie Renae / Innocence Project
Informed by our cases and guided by science, we have taken to courts, statehouses, and Congress to protect vulnerable communities that are most impacted by wrongful conviction.
Last year, we helped secure more than 10 state policy wins to reform and prevent practices that drive wrongful convictions and, in so doing, create a fairer and more equitable legal system for all.
Building on this work, we will address the widespread use of unreliable, emerging technologies in overpoliced communities of color; launch a program that will educate defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges on the limits and potential of forensic evidence; continue efforts to ban police deception in the interrogation of juveniles; and work to eliminate the trial penalty . We will also collaborate with stakeholders, including the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, to tackle racial bias in forensic pathology and algorithmic technologies.
On Dec. 15, 2021, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, and Raymond Santana — all members of the Exonerated Five — joined New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie, Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, and advocates to champion a package of bills that aim to reveal and prevent wrongful convictions in the state of New York. This year marks 20 years since their wrongful convictions were vacated.
Image: Elijah Craig / Innocence Project Strengthening Forensic Practices
We advocated for modifications to a federal rule to make it harder to admit unreliable expert testimony.
We successfully urged Washington’s high court to review the social science around eyewitness testimony to prevent unreliable eyewitness identification from leading to wrongful conviction.
To further strengthen the practice of forensic science, we advocated for the establishment of a program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology that evaluates the scientific foundations of forensic science disciplines. The NIST has since produced major draft reports on bite marks, DNA mixtures, and digital evidence.
We published a comprehensive paper on cognitive biases in criminal case evaluation.
We advocated for modifications to a federal rule to make it harder to admit unreliable expert testimony.
We successfully urged Washington’s high court to review the social science around eyewitness testimony to prevent unreliable eyewitness identification from leading to wrongful conviction.
To further strengthen the practice of forensic science, we advocated for the establishment of a program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology that evaluates the scientific foundations of forensic science disciplines. The NIST has since produced major draft reports on bite marks, DNA mixtures, and digital evidence.
We published a comprehensive paper on cognitive biases in criminal case evaluation.
Achieving Reforms Across the Nation
Illinois becomes the first state to pass a law requiring electronic recording of interrogation from start to finish.
Congress passes and authorizes the Innocence Protection Act and the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Program. They establish post-conviction DNA testing for those incarcerated in the federal system and awards grants to states to help defray the costs of testing.
The National Academy of Sciences issues a report calling for a comprehensive reform of forensic sciences and increased forensic oversight.
The Discovery for Justice Reform Act — which requires prosecutors to turn over critical evidence to defense attorneys early in the criminal legal process — passes the New York State Legislature, becoming one of the most transformational criminal legal reforms in the state’s history.
As a result of George Floyd’s murder and to advance racial justice, the Innocence Project makes police accountability a priority, including eliminating or reforming qualified immunity and making police disciplinary records publicly available.
Image: Fibonacci Blue / Flickr
Our widest-reaching work is done in close collaboration with other innocence organizations, key partners, advocates, and supporters.
Together with members of the Innocence Network , we’ve amplified awareness around wrongful convictions and accelerated the release of innocent people over the years. We’ve also tremendously increased our digital presence: This year, we grew our community of advocates to 1.2 million across our platforms, made 44,000 connections to legislators across the country, and reached new audiences.
Broadening and deepening these partnerships are absolute priorities in the coming years. After a survey of the needs of Innocence Network organizations, we will explore where we can collaborate more effectively. We will also continue to expand digital engagement on all our platforms and channels, build out our Speakers Bureau and Ambassadors program to help drive support and advocacy, and strengthen our collaboration with researchers interested in our work.
Innocence Network Speakers Bureau Innocence Ambassadors
Following two years of pandemic-related shutdowns, the Innocence Network Conference returned this year as an in-person event in Phoenix. The conference — which brings together innocence organizations, freed individuals, and exonerees — has grown exponentially since its establishment in 1999.
Images: Kenny Karpov / Innocence Project and Jennifer Watkins / Lyra Photography@innocence There are less than 30 days to #SaveMelissaLucio ♬ original sound – The Innocence Project
@innocence There are less than 30 days to #SaveMelissaLucio ♬ original sound – The Innocence ProjectAmplifying Our Voice on Social Media
We extended our reach on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram , drawing more than 2.7 million views in total.
Our “Happiest Moments” campaign received several recognitions for its social impact, including a Webby, a Telly, and two Anthem awards.
Actual Innocence , by Peter Neufeld, Barry Scheck, and New York Times reporter Jim Dwyer, is published.
The Innocence Network is formally established and is the first step toward greatly expanding nationwide capacity to identify wrongful convictions and exonerate innocent people.
Led by exoneree Cornelius Dupree, the Innocence Network organizes the “March for Justice,” in Memphis, Tennessee, to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and connect the innocence movement to the civil rights movement.
Image: Lacy Atkins / Innocence Project
Amid racial tumult and growing calls for criminal justice reform, the Innocence Project’s digital community grows more than eightfold compared to four years prior — from 368,000 supporters to 3.3 million.
Image: munshots / Unsplash
The Innocence Network celebrates its 700th exoneration. Represented by the Taiwan Innocence Project , the exoneree, Ming-Feng Wu, was wrongly convicted of robbery based on eyewitness misidentification and a flawed polygraph result.
(excluding pro bono activities)
| Individuals | $26,544,154 | 63% |
| Foundations | $9,082,394 | 22% |
| Corporation | $2,598,521 | 6% |
| Events | $2,584,301 | 6% |
| Yeshiva | $310,000 | 1% |
| Investments | $499,163 | 1% |
| Other Income | $430,283 | 1% |
| Total Revenue | $42,048,816 |
|---|
| Program | $17,409,207 | 76% |
| Management & General | $2,762,126 | 12% |
| Fundraising | $2,857,399 | 12% |
| Total Revenue | $23,028,732 |
|---|
The victories highlighted in this report and over the last 30 years were only realized because of you. We take the care and stewardship of your gift seriously. We are guided by transparency, efficiency, and integrity. To learn more, visit GUIDESTAR and CHARITY NAVIGATOR , external groups that evaluate the efficacy of nonprofit organizations. We encourage you to share your feedback with us at development@innocenceproject.org .
From Our Donor: Charlie Edmondson
The innocence movement started 30 years ago has changed the mentality of people across the country.
How did you first become involved with the Innocence Project?I read Actual Innocence by Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld when it first came out some 20 years ago. I was just fascinated with it and outraged by all the miscarriages of justice. I really hadn’t known anything about the whole concept of actual innocence. I soon became involved with the Georgia Innocence Project , which was just getting started at the time and, through them, learned about the broader innocence movement. What I came to see was that an injustice is an injustice; it doesn’t matter whether an exoneree is freed in Georgia or Arizona or Texas. While I continue to support innocence work in Georgia, I also wanted to support the movement nationally. This eventually led to my support of the creation of the Network Support Unit at the Innocence Project that, since 2012, has helped strengthen the power of the global network of innocence organizations.
Later that same year, you became the force behind the Edmondson Walking Fund that guarantees $2,000 to exonerees from every Innocence Network organization. What impact do you hope it has?
The goal has been to try to get funds into new exonerees’ hands within a couple days of their release. That immediacy was very important, and the funds are absolutely without restriction. If an exoneree wants to spend it on having a night out with friends — well, they didn’t get to do that for 23 years while they were wrongfully incarcerated — they can do it now. Or if someone wants to set up a business or pay their first month’s rent or get a new suit, they can use it for that.
When I meet these exonerees — white, Black, men, women, young, old — it’s very moving to hear their individual stories of how they lost years or decades of their lives. And they say to me, “Oh, I used your funds to buy the tools for a woodworking business” or “I finally got my mother into a decent apartment.”
Why do you choose to support the Innocence Project?My wife and I had started a foundation and were interested in trying to do some good in ways that meant something to us in the here and now. We purposely donated the last of the money left in the foundation a couple of years ago, but we’ve continued to contribute on an individual basis.
The fact of the matter is that the innocence movement started 30 years ago has changed the mentality of people across the country. There is now, at least, some recognition on the part of the general public that, just because a prosecutor is trying someone for a crime, does not mean that all the t’s have been crossed and the i’s dotted. That’s where DNA comes in: Cases that were seemingly the most airtight turned out not to be airtight at all. You know, it wasn’t too long ago that people thought the Innocence Project would work itself out of a job. Unfortunately, that hasn’t yet been the case.
