The Criminal Law Reform Project (CLRP) focuses its work on the “front end” of the criminal justice system—from policing to sentencing— seeking to end excessively harsh criminal justice policies that result in mass incarceration, over-criminalization, and racial injustice, and stand in the way of a fair and equal society.
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is the preeminent organization in the United States advancing the mission of the nation's criminal defense lawyers to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or other misconduct. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's approximately 10,000 direct members in 28 countries - and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys -- include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, active U.S. military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness within America's criminal justice system. This site is designed as both an open forum for the discussion of criminal justice policies and practice as well as a private online service for members of NACDL
The National Registry of Exonerations is a project of theUniversity of Michigan Law School. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. The Registry provides detailed information about every known exoneration in the United States since 1989—cases in which a person was wrongly convicted of a crime and later cleared of all the charges based on new evidence of innocence.
The Innocence Project is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. - See more at: http://www.innocenceproject.org/about-innocence-project#sthash.1WPd05Pz.dpuf
The Midwest Innocence Project (MIP) is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the investigation, litigation and exoneration of wrongfully convicted men and women in our five-state region. Recent independent studies conservatively estimate that between 2% and 5% of all inmates in America were falsely convicted, with some estimates reaching up to 7%. This means that somewhere between 2,000 and 7,000 moms, dads, sons and daughters in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Arkansas are locked behind bars this very moment for crimes they did not commit.
After a conviction, it takes roughly seven to ten years for an innocent person to be exonerated, and the process is very expensive. The MIP staff, along with our Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and volunteers, works diligently to give freedom back to those whom the legal system has failed. Thanks to our partnerships with law schools in the University of Missouri in Kansas City and Columbia and the University of Kansas, we also have a presence in the classroom to teach the next generation of lawyers and investigators how to identify and prevent these injustices.
The Midwest Innocence Project was founded a decade ago through the UMKC School of Law and is part of the National Innocence Network. We are based in Kansas City, Missouri.
Our Mission :To inspire, mobilize and train legal professionals to provide the highest quality defense representation to people unable to afford an attorney.
Our Goal : To ensure that those accused of crimes who are most vulnerable have the same access to criminal justice as everyone else.
Our Vision : A nation where every person has access to zealous, outstanding representation necessary to ensure “equal justice for all” in the criminal justice arena.
The Missouri State Public Defender System (MSPD) provides legal representation to all indigent citizens accused of or convicted of crimes in Missouri at the levels of the State Trial Court, Appellate Court, Missouri Supreme Court, and United States Supreme Court.
National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), founded in 1911, is America’s oldest and largest nonprofit association devoted to excellence in the delivery of legal services to those who cannot afford counsel. For 100 years, NLADA has pioneered access to justice at the national, state and local level through the creation of our public defender system, development of nationally applicable standards for legal representation, groundbreaking legal legislation and the creation of important institutions such as the Legal Services Corporation. NLADA serves as the collective voice for our country’s civil legal aid and public defender services and provides advocacy, training, technical assistance and the NLADA Insurance Program to its members, who are comprised of legal professionals, institutions and the people they represent.
The Death Penalty Information Center is a national non-profit organization serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment. Founded in 1990, the Center promotes informed discussion of the death penalty by preparing in-depth reports, conducting briefings for journalists, and serving as a resource to those working on this issue. The Center releases an annual report on the death penalty, highlighting significant developments and featuring the latest statistics. The Center also produces groundbreaking reports on various issues related to the death penalty such as arbitrariness, costs, innocence, and race. We offer a wide variety of multimedia resources, such as our free, online educational curricula and our podcast series, DPIC on the Issues.
The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) was founded in 1907 to help attorneys general fulfill the responsibilities of their office and to assist in the delivery of high quality legal services to the states and territorial jurisdictions. NAAG’s mission is: "To facilitate interaction among Attorneys General as peers and to facilitate the enhanced performance of Attorneys General and their staffs." NAAG fosters an environment of "cooperative leadership," helping attorneys general respond effectively - individually and collectively - to emerging state and federal issues.
NDAA was formed in 1950 by local prosecutors to give a focal point to advance their causes and issues at the national level. NDAA representatives regularly meet with the Department of Justice, members of Congress and other national associations to represent the views of prosecutors to influence federal and national policies and programs that affect law enforcement and prosecution
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