Great North Innocence Project: Remedying and Preventing Wrongful Convictions in the Great North

The Great North Innocence Project (GNIP), founded in Minnesota, expanded its reach in 2019 to include North Dakota and South Dakota, filling a crucial gap in pro bono legal services for wrongfully convicted individuals in these states. Operating across 206 counties and 23 Native nations, GNIP works to free wrongfully convicted individuals and prevent future injustices. To date, GNIP has secured the release of 11 innocent individuals, who collectively endured 132 years of wrongful incarceration. As its capacity has expanded, GNIP’s momentum has surged with over half of these releases occurring since 2020. GNIP's recent successes have led to an increased demand for its services. Systemic conviction review collaborations with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, built upon the ongoing work of the Minnesota Conviction Review Unit (CRU). GNIP seeks a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to enhance its capacity to address wrongful convictions. The proposed project aims to sustain momentum by identifying and addressing trends in wrongful convictions, providing first-class legal representation to wrongfully convicted individuals, and improving intake procedures and data gathering for increased efficiency, analysis, and reporting. Key project activities include hiring a full-time staff attorney, enhancing prosecutorial partnerships through participation in the systemic review of cases linked to a former medical examiner, and continued support of the CRU, as well as optimizing GNIP’s intake process. Expected outcomes include an increase in investigated and litigated cases, leading to a greater number of exonerations. The project will also improve the client intake process, enhancing data integrity and efficiency. The intended beneficiaries of the project are wrongfully convicted individuals, their families, and communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Collaborative efforts with the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and CRU will further strengthen the project's impact.