John,

I was the first person hired at the Innocence Project when it was a brand new clinic project at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, 30 years ago. Today, I work as the Interim Co-Director of Intake and Case Evaluation here at the Innocence Project.

I truly believe the work we do every day is so critical, especially as a first-generation Puerto Rican American. Working for an organization that’s fighting to transform our inherently racist criminal legal system is so important to me.

We’ve got our big end-of-year fundraising deadline coming up, and our work really depends on support from our community in moments like this.

Will you make a donation before Dec. 31 to ensure that we start off the new year with the resources we need to help as many people as possible?

My team and I read every single letter seeking assistance that the Innocence Project receives from people across the country.

In my time here, I’ve probably read tens of thousands of letters from incarcerated people trying to prove their innocence, and from family members reaching out on behalf of their loved ones. I’ve got to say, it never gets easier. Hearing these stories over and over again is heart rending, but I know how important this work is — the entire intake team does.

In my role as document manager, I have the responsibility of obtaining documents for our cases. When I request these necessary documents from a clerk of the court in New York, I have to go down to that clerk’s office with quarters for the copy machine to be able to make copies of the documents. I remember one time having to go to the bank to get $200 worth of quarters just to be able to pay for access to documents that we knew would help build the cases to free innocent people. That’s how it is at the Innocence Project: Everyone on this team is ready to do whatever it takes to help secure justice for innocent people.

Though this job never gets less challenging, seeing all the people who we’ve been able to help over the last 30 years is what keeps me going. It’s truly life-changing work because behind every request for help is a real person, counting on you and me for their freedom.

Please, help ensure that we can continue growing this work for years to come — make a donation before our end-of-year deadline, and let’s keep transforming this system together.

Thank you so much,

Elena Aviles
Document Manager
Innocence Project