What You Can Do
Whether you’re starting an organization, trying to expand an existing organization or working on your own to spread the word about wrongful convictions, you can get involved in a variety of ways. Here are some initial activities that anyone can do (if you have suggestions for other activities, email us at students@innocenceproject.org):
1. Organize a signature drive
The Petition for Access to Post-Conviction DNA Testing calls on state lawmakers to pass legislation ensuring that all people convicted of crimes can appeal for DNA testing when it has the potential to overturn their conviction. Share this link with your friends, classmates and teachers, and ask them to sign the petition.
Click here to sign and forward the petition.
Be sure to enter your school’s name when you sign the petition – the three U.S. schools with the most signatures at the end of April will receive an Innocence Project Education Grant worth $300 to host an event at your school. (The grant is for goods and services; your organization or school will not receive funds directly.)
The grant can be used to:
- Invite an exoneree speaker to come to your school;
- Provide 20 copies of “Actual Innocence” or “The Innocent Man” for a class discussion; or
- Host a screening of the documentary films “After Innocence” or “The Trials of Darryl Hunt.”
2. Host an awareness event or fundraiser
Events across the country have raised awareness about wrongful convictions, engaged more people in efforts to reform the criminal justice system and raised money for the Innocence Project. The Innocence Project can provide materials for your event and, in some cases, we can arrange for an exoneree or attorney to speak at your event.
Click here for a step-by-step guide to hosting an event at your school or in your community.
3. Start or expand a student organization on your campus or in your community
Organizing on your campus or in your community can help build a broader base of support for addressing and preventing wrongful convictions. By starting or expanding a youth group, you can put a structure in place that will remain after you have graduated.
To find out how to start a student organization, click here [links to section above]. To join the Innocence Project’s list of student organizations – and receive regular updates, ideas for events and material you can use to strengthen your group – email students@innocenceproject.org.
4. Write an article about wrongful convictions in your school newspaper or persuade the paper to cover these issues more
The Innocence Project can supply you with information about our organization, wrongful convictions and the remedies that can improve the criminal justice system. The Innocence Blog can provide you with up-to-date news in your area (including timely developments on state legislation), or you can focus more generally on one of the causes of wrongful convictions.
Click here for tips on reaching out to the media about wrongful convictions.
5. Reach out to legislators
Legislators need to know that preventing wrongful convictions is a priority for their constituents. If a legislator is speaking on your campus, attend the event and raise wrongful convictions during the question-and-answer session. You can also proactively reach out directly to legislators to tell them why these issues are important. Most criminal justice policy is set on the local or state level, so focusing on state legislators is the best place to start. You can write or call legislators to share your views and ask them to help prevent wrongful convictions, or you can reach out to others in your community or state who may already be in touch with legislators and find out the best way you can help.
Click here [link to?] to find the name and contact information for your state legislators.
Click here for tips on talking to legislators about wrongful convictions.
6. Spread the word online
Help educate and engage more young people about wrongful convictions. You can contact people directly or raise awareness through social networking sites.
Click here to send personal emails to your friends, family, classmates and others. You can share this website with them and tell them why you are involved in preventing wrongful convictions.
Connect with the Innocence Project on MySpace, and click here to join us on Facebook.