ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS​

• Why are people wrongly convicted?

• How are people biologically unique from each other and how can we use that to identify people that have played a role in a crime?

• Why is DNA so powerful as an identifier?

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ABOUT

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According to the National Registry of Exonerations, over 2,000 prisoners have been exonerated since 1989.   The number of wrongful convictions in the United States is conservatively estimated to be in the tens of thousands per year.  Additionally, the United States has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world. These startling statistics provide us with an opportunity to reflect and act.  Recent scientific advances have brought exculpatory evidence into the courtroom, while legal organizations, like the Innocence Project, have marshalled legal resources that work tirelessly to free the innocent.

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For “Innocence,” students partnered with the California Innocence Project.  The CIP is headquartered locally at California Western School of Law. It is the state’s leading vehicle for exonerating wrongful convictions.  Students will receive case files of currently incarcerated individuals. Since the majority of exonerations are based on DNA analysis and debunking junk science, biological science will be central to this process.  Our exhibition will be held at California Western School of Law where students will make presentations to the CIP.

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PROJECT PARTNERS

California Innocence Project

California Western School of Law

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