Innocence Project of New Orleans
About
IPNO
Innocence Project of New Orleans (IPNO) frees innocent people sentenced to life in prison and those serving unjust sentences. They recognize the root causes of wrongful convictions and unjust sentences as systemic racism and inequities. They work to expose and address these root causes by sharing their clients’ stories in court, the legislature, the community and the media. They support their clients living well and fully in the world after their release.
Services & Eligibility
IPNO only accepts written applications directly from prisoners wanting help that meet EVERY criteria below:- The person claims they are factually innocent of the crime for which they are in prison. (A person is factually innocent if they had no involvement in the crime and were not there. IPNO does not take cases of legal innocence, self-defense or cases in which the person is guilty of a lesser charge.)- The person was convicted in Louisiana.- The person is serving a life sentence or a near-life sentence with at least 10 years left to be served.- The person’s direct appeal has been denied (the direct appeal is the automatic appeal that follows a trial).- The person cannot afford an attorney.- The person is not serving a sentence on another, unrelated charge that will mean he or she will not be released if the conviction at issue is overturned.
