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…

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), through its Capital Case Litigation Initiative (CFDA 16.746), awarded a $600,000 Project Grant to the Great North Innocence Project (GNIP) on October 1, 2024. GNIP, a non-profit organization operating across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, will use the funding to expand its capacity to investigate potential wrongful convictions and secure the release of innocent individuals. Key project activities include hiring a full-time staff attorney, enhancing partnerships with prosecutors to review cases linked to a former medical examiner, and optimizing GNIP's client intake process. Expected outcomes include an increase in investigated and litigated cases, leading to a greater number of exonerations, as well as improved data integrity and efficiency in GNIP's operations. The project aims to build upon GNIP's previous successes, which have resulted in the release of 11 wrongfully convicted individuals who collectively spent 132 years in prison.

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, gnips 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 generals office and the ramsey county attorneysoffice, 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 gnips 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 attorneys office and CRU will further strengthen the project's impact.