The Case for the Case for the Innocence Project

The Duke Law Innocence Project, a volunteer student organization, works to exonerate victims of wrongful conviction by assisting in investigations of claims of innocence. This summer, I served as a research assistant for the Duke Center for Criminal Justice and Professional Responsibility, the umbrella organization for the Duke Innocence Project and the Wrongful Convictions Clinic. As a student researcher, I evaluated the effectiveness of the Wrongful Convictions Clinic’s case screening process and identified how the Duke Law Innocence Project may improve its efficiency regarding case management and strengthen its positive impact on exonerees. I worked in tandem with multiple law school professors to ideate recommendations with the goal of improving the Duke Innocence Project’s accuracy and efficiency.

Cases that were initially rejected and later identified as false convictions were analyzed to improve the Innocence Project case selection process. Ultimately, I produced both a systematic review of materials in the form of a comprehensive memo teaching students how to decipher whether an inmate’s case is innocent or not and a Duke-specific questionnaire for people in prison. My work will allow for a more structured, professional experience for IP volunteers in the future.