IPNO frees innocent people sentenced to life in prison and those serving unjust sentences. We recognize the root causes of wrongful convictions and unjust sentences as systemic racism and inequities. We work to expose and address these root causes by sharing our clients’ stories in court, the legislature, the community and the media. We support our clients living well and fully in the world after their release.
DID YOU KNOW
Mistaken identifications are a leading factor in wrongful convictions.
0
%
of the 551 DNA exonerations in the United States involved mistaken eyewitness
identifications.
0
out of 22
Louisiana DNA exonerations involved mistaken eyewitness identifications. Two of these men were sentenced to death.
In
0
non-DNA Louisiana exonerations, innocent men were sentenced to life in prison
due to mistaken eyewitness identifications.
“Thirteen minutes of deliberations by a jury. Guilty as charged, based solely on the unsubstantiated and uncorroborated testimony of one witness who didn’t see the actual shooting. Me and my codefendant had our freedom taken away on that. We were sentenced to spend the balance of our natural lives at hard labor in custody of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. There was a lot of hand-shaking going on among the prosecutors. My mom was in tears.”
–Gregory Bright
Exonerated: June 24, 2003 in Louisiana
Latest IPNO News
Court rules against Attorney General in fight over exonerated inmate compensation Published: July 13, 2023 at 12:01 AM CDT NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - For Malcolm Alexander, a decades-long battle might finally be coming to an end. “Actually, tears came to…
Exonerated inmates struggle to receive compensation state says they’re owed By Lee Zurik and Dannah Sauer Published: May 15, 2023 at 10:02 PM CDT NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Wilbert Jones spent nearly 50 years in prison for the kidnapping and rape of a…
LIFE INSIDE My Brother Was Wrongfully Convicted for Murder. 20 Years Later, So Was My Son. Although it was a coincidence, I knew it wasn’t a mistake. What Louisiana was doing to men like my brother Elvis and my son Cedric…
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Innocence Project New Orleans represents innocent people and people unjustly sentenced to life in prison at no cost to them or their loved ones. We could not do this without you.
