What We Do

Once a new candidate is selected, we conduct a complete review of his/her case, including conducting numerous interviews with the new candidate and reviewing all available documents and records related to the conviction. We will then explore all available mechanisms within that subject jurisdiction for exoneration or clemency. 

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Depending upon the avenues available, we reach out to the State Attorney General's office or the jurisdictional Conviction Review Unit and submit an advocacy package urging the Attorney General's office or the Unit to review the individual's case. In cases where clemency is being requested, we submit a letter to the appropriate Governor's office along with documentation demonstrating why the individual is an ideal candidate for clemency.

After the submission of our advocacy or clemency packet  to the appropriate State officials, we engage in significant follow-up advocating for the individual to make sure that the individual's request has not been overlooked or forgotten.

A critical component of our efforts is to reach out to the individual’s family, friends and larger community in order to obtain support for the individual's plea for exoneration or request for clemency. Social media is an important element in bringing local, regional and/or national attention to the individual’s circumstances.

In order to help garner support for the individual, an online petition will be widely disseminated to the individual's local and regional communities. The online petition will be submitted to the appropriate State officials to show the community's support in granting the individual an exoneration or clemency.

Our goal is to bring as much attention to the individual as possible. To that end, we seek to engage local, regional and national media to the individual's case.

In those jurisdictions where there is not a pre-existing mechanism for reviewing a conviction, we may initiate lobbying efforts in that community to urge the State or local government to establish a conviction review unit.

Lobbying efforts will include reaching out to elected officials empowered to take action, gathering community support for the establishment of such units and, where appropriate, drafting proposed legislation establishing such units under the purview of the State and/or local government.