John,

We kick off 2023 with ambitious plans for the coming year, buoyed by last year’s successes, which included six exonerations, two vacated death sentences, over 10 policy wins, a first-of-its-kind virtual research conference, and so much more.

While we continue our work to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions and create fair, compassionate and equitable systems of justice for everyone, we are cautiously observing a dangerous yet familiar trend that threatens to undermine our country’s progress toward an equitable criminal legal system. More and more policymakers are ignoring the lessons of the past and embracing the “tough-on-crime” rhetoric that bolstered decades of mass incarceration and countless wrongful convictions.

These are lessons we cannot afford to forget. To learn more about the impacts of our nation's past experiences with tough-on-crime policies, please take a moment to read my full January letter.

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We cannot go backwards — our country has come too far to turn back now.

As an organization guided by science and grounded in anti-racism, we know there is much to be learned and understood about wrongful conviction, particularly amid heightened concerns about public safety. We will continue to collaborate with researchers on the cutting edge of their disciplines to inform our work and ensure that our criminal legal system protects everyone. It’s this work and more that energizes all of us, everyday at the Innocence Project.

I am sincerely grateful for your support, advocacy, and commitment to changing the system for the better. Together, we can drive the change we want and need.

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Thank you for your support,

Christina Swarns
Executive Director
Innocence Project

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The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the organization is now an independent nonprofit. Our work is guided by science and grounded in antiracism.

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