Justice and the Pursuit of Innocence
The innocence project is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to help exonerate the wrongfully convicted individuals through the use of DNA evidence. Since the start up of the organization in 1992, they have played a critical role in revealing the flaws within the criminal justice system They are also showing how frequent people are being wrongfully convicted. The positive impact of the innocence project on the criminal justice system is very big. What the innocence project has done is not only expose the flaws within the justice system, but also make important changes to prevent this from happening in the future either in the justice system or them just wrongfully convicting someone without proper evidence.
One of the major ways that the innocent project contributes to the criminal justice system is by raising awareness to the flaws and errors throughout the system, and what leads to people being wrongfully convicted. How the innocence project makes these changes is by investigating the cases they under cover the mistakes and misconduct throughout the case, and if any bias is in the case that have led to an individual being wrongfully imprisoned. These exposures by the innocence project serves as a catalyst change within the system.
The innocence project work has brought a lot of attention and importance of making unbiased investigations of the prosecutors misconduct. One of the main things the innocence projects looks at in these cases is if there was eyewitness testimonies in them. The impact of eyewitness testimonies is most of the time or miss identifications. For example, in the case of Barry Gibbs, who spent 45 years in prison for murder, he did not commit the innocence. Project help revealed that the prosecution had withheld evidence that could have exonerated or freed him earlier. This situation not only leads to Gibbs’ release, but also raises a major question in the justice system, and how ethical these prosecutors are conducting these cases. And they advise that these cases need a stricter oversight or a second opinion before going into final decisions.
The innocence project’s main work is really focusing on how unreliable eyewitness testimonies are in the criminal justice system. Many factors contribute to this numerous wrongfully convicted. People have been because of eyewitness testimonies, and how unreliable they really are. Throughout the use of DNA evidence the innocence project has shown the limitation of human memory and the potential of miss identification. The results from the innocence projects bringing awareness has majorly impacted the police procedures, and the implementation of more accurate identification method hoods such as double blind lineups, and also double checking everything before going off of an eyewitness testimony, that has no further evidence or proof to support the eyewitness claim.
The most direct and significant impact that the innocence project has done is the exoneration of wrongfully convicted individuals. How they free these individuals is through the use of DNA evidence. The innocence project has helped exonerate more than 375 individuals in the United States alone, these individuals have regained their freedom and former life‘s, but their stories extend beyond their personal stories, because of what they have gone through and what they have to go through the rest of life because of this. The exoneration of these wrongfully convicted people expose how the criminal justice system is flawed and easily wrong at times. This demonstrates that it is not only immune to errors, but much more. This major find by the innocence project made many people realize that they need to increase the public scrutiny of the system. The innocence projects made a major and significant change because the public saw this, and wanted the system to be changed for the better. It has also forced a reevaluation of the death penalty leading some states to reconsider its use due to the possibility of executing an innocent person that was wrongfully convicted, because that has probably happened before and will happen again, because of the systems and how they have not been changed yet.
The innocence project has not been limited to only individual exonerations. They have also influenced many policies and legal reforms of both state and federal levels. The organization’s efforts have prompted changes that address some of the root causes of these people being wrongfully convicted, and they are also working on to prevent this from happening in the future in the justice system. One of the most significant policy changes that the innocent project adapted to was post conviction, DNA testing laws in many states prevented people from getting DNA tests after being convicted. These laws that the innocence project have introduced to the policy, provide convicted individuals the right to request a DNA test of evidence that could prove their innocence. The innocence project has been a pivotal tool in the fight against wrongfully convicted people, and still stands and . support in what they are doing. The organization has also advocated for lead changes in the way interrogations are conducted. The innocence Project has shed light on the problems of false confessions, which are often manipulated or forced. As a result, some police departments have implemented practices for interrogations to minimize the risk of false confessions. This includes all records and recordings to ensure the persistence of the legal counsel.
The innocence project has played a crucial role in shaping public opinion, and mobilizing these criminal justice reforms. How the innocence project is doing. This is by sharing the stories of the wrongfully convicted individuals. They have exonerated which gathers the public attention because of the justice system being wrong. Throughout documentaries, news coverage and social media the innocence project has reached a broader audience in treating empathy for the innocent individuals who have suffered due to being wrongfully convicted. The public support has translated and increased funding resources, and the political pressure from the public also addresses the issues throughout the justice system.
In conclusion, the innocence project has played a vital role in exposing the flaws within the criminal justice system, exonerating, wrongfully, convicted, people, influencing policies and legal reforms, and also changing and shaping the public opinion. They have also helped prevent this from happening in the future in the injustices. The innocence project has not only provided a second chance at life for people who are wrongfully convicted, but has also acted as a catalyst for the change within the criminal justice system. As the innocence project has made significant progress. There is still much more that needs to be addressed and done Before they are done doing what they are doing.
References
The Innocence project. “Transforming Systems.” Innocence Project, 2 Nov. 2023, https://innocenceproject.org/transforming-systems/
The innocence project. “Restoring Freedom.” Innocence Project, 25 Oct. 2023, innocenceproject.org/restoring-freedom/.
The innocence Project. “By the Numbers.” Innocence Project, 23 Oct. 2023, innocenceproject.org/exonerations-data/#:~:text=The%20Innocence%20Project%20fights%20to,contributed%20to%20their%20wrongful%20convictions.
Counterintuitive Fall 2024 
“Much more needs to be done before they are done doing what they are doing?”
It seems crazy that an essay about innocent people languishing on death row hoping for a reprieve before they’re put to death would need more “juice,” but yours does, Propel.
Consider starting with a compelling narrative about someone who was WRONGFULLY EXECUTED and LATER EXONERATED BY DNA, after it was too late. That should make the stakes of the Innocence Project’s work much more vivid and immediate.
The first case I read included an example of an UNCERTAIN EYEWITNESS account that overwhelmed the lack of physical evidence.
Even wikipedia can lead you to several examples of wrongful conviction in the US, which you can trace back to more original sources using the links provided inside the wikipedia article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrongful_execution
Here’s another link if you need more help getting started:
https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/policy-issues/innocence
Once you establish the deadly consequences of a wrongful CONVICTION for a capital crime that, if followed to its conclusion would lead to the WRONGFUL EXECUTION of an innocent person, I would think your best Causal Argument would trace the process of getting an exoneration for a wrongful conviction BEFORE the convict can be wrongfully executed, or “murdered by the state” if you prefer confrontational language.
How do the investigators get access to the police, prosecutorial, court files they would need to establish that mistakes or deliberate abuses might have occurred during the prosecution? What is it they usually find in cases of wrongful conviction? Is it faulty eyewitness identification? How does this happen? Do the police parade a suspect past a possible witness in handcuffs to send the message to the witness that they already have the right guy? Do they present carefully selected photo arrays to the witness that guide the ID toward whoever they’ve arrested? Do they tell the witness the suspect has been convicted of other crimes, arrested often, “someone we’ve been watching for a long time”? Do prosecutors try to block any attempt to re-examine evidence in convictions they consider “closed”? Etc.
You would benefit from citing the actual statutes when you champion any laws the IP has gotten passed. I found links to important legislation on the New Jersey page of the Innocence Project.