The work our team is doing will help create a better, more just system by changing laws at the state level.

[link removed]
View in browser ([link removed])
John —

Across the country calls for law enforcement accountability have never been louder. Changing the system means going state by state. Thanks to your grassroots efforts, we’ve been able to pass groundbreaking criminal justice reform bills in multiple states this year.

With your help, we’ll be able to continue working to end racial injustice. If you want to be one of the first people to hear about important policy work across the country and find out how you can help, be sure to sign up to receive text messages from us to keep you informed ([link removed]) or just text INNOCENT to 52886.

The work our Policy Team is doing will be critical in the national movement to improve transparency and accountability in the criminal justice system. Here are six big wins from this year you should know about:
1. Two weeks ago, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law critical legislation to fully repeal 50-a — a law that has allowed law enforcement to shield police misconduct records from the public. Police disciplinary records will now be made available to the public, increasing systemic accountability through transparency.

2. This year, both Maryland and Oklahoma passed laws requiring statewide tracking systems of jailhouse informants to ensure better safeguards against unreliable informant testimony. Jailhouse informants are incentivized witnesses who expect or receive leniency or other benefits in exchange for information or testimony. Despite the fact that jailhouse informant testimony has contributed to one-fifth of DNA-based wrongful convictions, very few states track key information about their activities, including how many other cases they have testified in and what they received in exchange for their testimony.

3. Earlier this month, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed legislation requiring law enforcement to adopt statewide best practices for lineup procedures. The new law will protect against eyewitness misidentification, which is the leading cause of DNA-based exonerations in the United States.

4. In Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam signed two new bills — one to fix the “writ of actual innocence” law and another to improve access to DNA testing. For years, many wrongfully convicted people in the state of Virginia were unable to get back into court to prove their innocence because of limitations and restrictions in the existing laws. The new laws create an expansive framework for the consideration of innocence claims and promise to enable the revelation of many more wrongful convictions.

We want to bring more actual justice to our criminal justice system, and we can’t do it without your support.

To stay looped in on police accountability campaigns, other wrongful conviction reform efforts, and breaking news, sign up to receive action alerts by text message today ([link removed]) or text INNOCENT to 52886.

Thank you,

Rebecca Brown
Director of Policy
Innocence Project

P.S. June 30 marks the end of our fiscal year, a time that always determines a lot about our budget for the year ahead. If you’d like to, now is a good time to make a donation to support the fight for justice for the wrongfully convicted and help us start our next fiscal year off strong. ([link removed])
Donate ([link removed])

============================================================
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** YouTube ([link removed])
The Innocence Project exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.
** www.innocenceproject.org ([link removed])

Copyright © 2020 Innocence Project, All rights reserved.
212.364.5340
[email protected]

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.