Innocence Project of Texas is one of the leading innocence organizations in the country having exonerated or freed 36 people since 2006. IPTX exists to free and exonerate those wrongfully convicted, reform policies that imprison the innocent, and educate the public to drive lasting change. Exonerate: With the rate of wrongful convictions being estimated between 2% and 6%, there are likely 3,000-9,000 innocent people in Texas prisons today. Innocence Project of Texas works to achieve the release and exoneration of wrongfully convicted Texans by providing first-rate legal counsel and investigative services at no cost. Our team evaluates over 1,000 claims of innocence per year. Reform: It is not enough, however, to free the wrongfully convicted from incarceration. We have a responsibility to work toward a system that does not allow wrongful convictions to happen in the first place. As part of the Reform pillar of our mission, we’re working to drive meaningful policy changes that address the causes of wrongful convictions. We have been instrumental in passing legislation designed to improve the criminal justice process and prevent future wrongful convictions, including:

• Awarding statutory compensation to exonerees through the Tim Cole Act. $80,000 per year of incarceration.
• The right to challenge convictions in cases where the underlying forensic science is flawed.
• Requiring disclosure of criminal history and tracking of jailhouse informants.

Educate: Systemic improvements to the policy gaps and malicious practices that result in wrongful convictions can only happen through a seismic shift in the public’s awareness and involvement in that change. That’s why one of our most important goals is to educate the public about wrongful convictions. Each year, IPTX trains hundreds of law students and legal professionals, as well as giving many presentations to educate the public. How you can help: Your support is critical to ensuring that IPTX can continue its work to exonerate, reform and educate. Be a part of our work to free innocent people and change our judicial system. Your donation helps IPTX to cover costs such as: $50      Expense of a public records request $100    Staff trip to visit a client in prison $250    One hour of expert testimony $500    One day of investigation to locate and interview eyewitnesses $1,000 Obtain trial transcripts needed to thoroughly review a case $2,500 DNA analysis of evidence Our Angel Metric: Our legal team of staff attorneys, law clinic students, and volunteer attorneys provide representation and critical assistance in the exoneration process. However, the path to exoneration is both long and expensive. Though Innocence Project of Texas has contributed to the release of 36 wrongfully convicted Texans, successful results are difficult to arrive at and challenging to replicate. On average, it takes 12 years to achieve an exoneration, and costs $235,000 to free a wrongfully convicted person.