Great North Innocence Project

THE GREAT NORTH INNOCENCE PROJECT (GNIP), FOUNDED IN MINNESOTA, EXPANDED ITS REACH IN 2019 TO INCLUDE NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTH DAKOTA, FILLING A CRUCIAL GAP IN PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES FOR WRONGFULLY CONVICTED INDIVIDUALS IN THESE STATES. OPERATING ACROSS 206 COUNTIES AND 23 NATIVE NATIONS, GNIP WORKS TO FREE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED INDIVIDUALS AND PREVENT FUTURE INJUSTICES. TO DATE, GNIP HAS SECURED THE RELEASE OF 11 INNOCENT INDIVIDUALS, WHO COLLECTIVELY ENDURED 132 YEARS OF WRONGFUL INCARCERATION. AS ITS CAPACITY HAS EXPANDED, GNIPS MOMENTUM HAS SURGED WITH OVER HALF OF THESE RELEASES OCCURRING SINCE 2020. GNIP'S RECENT SUCCESSES HAVE LED TO AN INCREASED DEMAND FOR ITS SERVICES. SYSTEMIC CONVICTION REVIEW COLLABORATIONS WITH THE MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE AND THE RAMSEY COUNTY ATTORNEYSOFFICE, BUILT UPON THE ONGOING WORK OF THE MINNESOTA CONVICTION REVIEW UNIT (CRU). GNIP SEEKS A GRANT FROM THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE TO ENHANCE ITS CAPACITY TO ADDRESS WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT AIMS TO SUSTAIN MOMENTUM BY IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING TRENDS IN WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS, PROVIDING FIRST-CLASS LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO WRONGFULLY CONVICTED INDIVIDUALS, AND IMPROVING INTAKE PROCEDURES AND DATA GATHERING FOR INCREASED EFFICIENCY, ANALYSIS, AND REPORTING. KEY PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE HIRING A FULL-TIME STAFF ATTORNEY, ENHANCING PROSECUTORIAL PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN THE SYSTEMIC REVIEW OF CASES LINKED TO A FORMER MEDICAL EXAMINER, AND CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE CRU, AS WELL AS OPTIMIZING GNIPS INTAKE PROCESS. EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN INVESTIGATED AND LITIGATED CASES, LEADING TO A GREATER NUMBER OF EXONERATIONS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE CLIENT INTAKE PROCESS, ENHANCING DATA INTEGRITY AND EFFICIENCY. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROJECT ARE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED INDIVIDUALS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES IN MINNESOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, AND SOUTH DAKOTA. COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH THE RAMSEY COUNTY ATTORNEYS OFFICE AND CRU WILL FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE PROJECT'S IMPACT.

THE GREAT NORTH INNOCENCE PROJECT (GN-IP) SEEKS TO CONTINUE FUNDING FOR THE MINNESOTA CONVICTION REVIEW UNIT (“CRU”), WHICH WAS DEVELOPED AND ESTABLISHED WITH THE SUPPORT OF AN UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW AND PREVENTING WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS PROGRAM (URLPWCP) GRANT AWARDED IN 2020 (GRANT #2020-FA-BX-0005).    THE PURPOSE OF THE CRU IS TO IMPROVE OVERALL JUSTICE IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA THROUGH (1) IDENTIFYING AND REMEDYING WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS (I.E., WHERE THE PERSON CONVICTED DID NOT COMMIT THE CRIME); (2) COLLECTING CASE DATA TO IDENTIFY THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS; AND (3) PROPOSING CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS THAT WOULD PREVENT WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS FROM OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE.  THE CRU IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE AN AVENUE FOR RELIEF IN CASES OF ACTUAL INNOCENCE WHERE LEGAL OR PROCEDURAL BARRIERS MIGHT OTHERWISE BAR A JUDICIAL REMEDY.  IN CASES WHERE THE PERSON CONVICTED DID NOT COMMIT THE CRIME, THE CRU ALSO SEEKS TO SECURE JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS AND UPHOLD THE RULE OF LAW THROUGH IDENTIFICATION (LEADING TO PROSECUTION) OF THE ACTUAL PERPETRATOR.    NOW THAT THE CRU HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND STAFFED, AND THE NECESSARY DATABASES, FORMS AND PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN CREATED, THE CRU’S PRIMARY ACTIVITIES CONSIST OF (1) SOLICITING AND SCREENING APPLICATIONS FROM MINNESOTA PRISONERS WHO CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN WRONGFULLY CONVICTED; (2) CONDUCTING INVESTIGATIONS INTO COLORABLE CLAIMS OF ACTUAL INNOCENCE; AND (3) WHERE APPROPRIATE, RECOMMENDING THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE SEEK RELIEF FROM THE CONVICTION.  THE CRU ALSO MAINTAINS A DATABASE DESIGNED TO TRACK FACTORS PRESENT IN WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS, AND RELIES ON THE DATA OBTAINED TO IDENTIFY SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS AND TO FORMULATE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS.  OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, AS WELL AS CRIME VICTIM OUTREACH.         THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES ARE THE REMEDYING AND PREVENTION OF FUTURE WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS IN MINNESOTA, INCREASED TRUST IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THROUGH TRANSPARENCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY, AND AN EVOLUTION IN PROSECUTORIAL CULTURE STATEWIDE, WITH PROSECUTORS EMBRACING THEIR PRIMARY DUTY AS BEING TO SEEK JUSTICE WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE LAW, NOT MERELY TO CONVICT.    THE CRU’S SERVICE AREA INCLUDES THE ENTIRE STATE OF MINNESOTA.   THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED PRISONERS IN MINNESOTA, MINNESOTA RESIDENTS AT RISK OF FUTURE WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS, CRIME VICTIMS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.    THE OFFICE OF THE MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL IS A SUB-RECIPIENT ON THE ORIGINAL GRANT  AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A SUB-RECIPIENT ON ANY CONTINUATION FUNDING.

IPMN MINNESOTA CRU - UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW AND PREVENTING WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS

MINNESOTA WRONGFUL CONVICTION PROGRAM