John,

When the Innocence Project was founded, there was no meaningful understanding of the breadth of the problem of wrongful conviction in this country.

But over the past 30 years, the searing images of our innocent clients emerging from decades behind prison walls opened the eyes of the world to the harsh realities of the American criminal legal system.

And by freeing or exonerating more than 240 people, stopping multiple executions, helping to pass more than 200 state and federal laws, strengthening forensic practices through the courts, and advancing a powerful movement for change, the Innocence Project became the most transformative criminal legal reform organization in the history of this country.

We could not have done it without the support of people just like you.

This week we celebrate Giving Tuesday, a global day of generosity and giving — and in that spirit, I’m asking you to continue your generous support for the Innocence Project by making a donation to help us hit our fundraising goal. Your gift will directly support our work to free the innocent.

As I enter my third year as the Innocence Project’s executive director, I’m blindingly proud of our organization’s success and of the many ways in which we live out our commitment to building fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. I am also incredibly thankful to all of you for supporting us at every step along the way.

In the year to come, we will deepen our work addressing the ways in which racism drives wrongful conviction. We will educate system actors to ensure that criminal convictions are based on reliable scientific evidence. And we will examine and challenge the use of emerging technologies that are not only unvalidated and inaccurate but also undermine the presumption of innocence.

I am so grateful for the trust you’ve placed in us and for your ongoing support of our work. With you by our side, the Innocence Project will continue to transform the world in which we live.

So please help ensure that we can keep doing this work for years to come – consider making a Giving Tuesday donation to the Innocence Project this week.

With deep gratitude,

Christina Swarns
Executive Director
Innocence Project