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The Wrongful Conviction Clinic at IU McKinney is helping to mark the 7th annual International Wrongful Conviction Day, which takes place on October 2. The event is intended to raise awareness of the causes and remedies of wrongful conviction and to recognize its tremendous personal, social, and emotional costs for innocent people and their families.

Wrongful Conviction Day is an effort of the Innocence Network, an affiliation of organizations dedicated to providing pro-bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted, working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions, and supporting the exonerated after they are freed.

The Wrongful Conviction Clinic at IU McKinney, under the direction of Professor Fran Watson, ’80, is a founding member of the Innocence Network. Harnessing the energy and intellect of law students, the WCC seeks to identify inmates in Indiana prisons who are actually innocent of the crimes they were convicted of committing. To date, seven individuals have been exonerated or released from prison as a result of the work of the WCC. Current clinic students shared these thoughts about their experience:

“The major evolution that has occurred in science and law requires that we reflect on all convictions that have come out of this flawed system to remedy past mistakes and learn how to prevent them in the future.” WCC student Leah Miller.

“It is far too often that investigators forget the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty.’ If their job truly is to help keep communities safe, then they too should realize their interest in making sure that the correct person is held accountable.’  WCC student Hannah Hawkins

You can follow the Innocence Network on social media and help spread the word by using the hashtag #WrongfulConvictionDay. Learn more at the Wrongful Conviction  Day website, and sign up for events that will take place October 2.