how can wrongful convictions happen to innocent people?
If you ask a middle schooler and a college professor, "who invented the lightbulb," they both might tell you “Thomas Edison”, because, well, everyone knows Edison invented the lightbulb.
But he did not.
Why do so many of us get it wrong? Because untruths can be perceived as absolute facts at all levels of learning, and they can take centuries to unlearn.
The untrue stories of the wrongfully convicted may be among the most difficult narratives to replace in the public consciousness. But they are the most important. The stakes are not the cost of reprinting a textbook or the inconvenience of admitting that we were wrong.
The stakes are literally life and death.
These are not the bids of men who wish to be recognized for their contributions to science. These are the calls of men who are fighting for their life against intangible and impossible opponents— injustice, and time itself. Their stories have not yet been told, so please listen. They have silenced voices that the world needs to pay attention to— just for long enough to hear the truth.
current cases
HIP Exonerations
FREED IN 2023
after 24 years in prison
FREED IN 2011
after 8 years in prison
Roynes Dural
Albert Ian Schweitzer
FREED IN 2011
after 19 years in prison
FREED IN 2014
after 12 years in prison
Alvin jardine
shaun rodrigues
The Hawai'i Innocence Project accepts applications from anyone who has been convicted of a crime occurring in Hawai'i AND is factually innocent of that crime.
If you believe that you were wrongfully convicted and are factually innocent, please complete our application for assistance. Please be as thorough as possible so that we may respond to your inquiry quickly and efficiently. Click the link below to access our application and more detailed instructions.
network Exonerations
BRIAN BANKS
Currently, over 2,839 exonerations have taken place across the country.
That's over 25,265 years spent in prison.
Read about them all at the National Registry of Exonerations.
Go to www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/ to learn more.
Help us seek justice for the wrongfully convicted.