VOLUNTEER APPLICATION TO WORK ON INNOCENCE PROJECT CASES
The mission of the Illinois Innocence Project is to assist the wrongfully convicted by providing
resources for investigation and research to those who are in prison but who are actually innocent of
the crime(s) for which they were convicted and to develop policy proposals to prevent the conviction
of innocent persons in the future. The services of the Illinois Innocence Project are particularly critical
because in Illinois convicted individuals who are not facing the death penalty have no public
resources provided to prove their innocence as they seek post-conviction relief following their direct
appeal. A petition for post-conviction relief is important because it is the first opportunity for convicted
individuals to challenge their conviction based on actual innocence.
Volunteers have the unique opportunity to engage in legal research and even court
appearances with lawyers working on a case and/or to engage in investigation with the Project
Investigator on active cases the Project is reviewing. As part of the experience, they will learn how to
access, review, and interpret information critical to determining whether the individuals are actually
innocent. The work is performed under strict guidelines of confidentiality and trustworthiness.
The Project office is located in the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) Center for State
Policy and Leadership. The Project is an active participant in the National Innocence Network
founded and developed out of the work of Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld of Cardozo Law School.
Scheck and Neufeld established The Innocence Project in 1992 that has exposed widespread
wrongful convictions of the innocent through the use of DNA testing. The Illinois Innocence Project
reviews cases that turn on DNA testing, and non-DNA cases that involve other factors common in
wrongful convictions, such as eyewitness misidentification, false confessions, ineffective counsel,
unreliable forensic evidence, and/or prosecutorial or police misconduct.
VOLUNTEER APPLICATION TO WORK ON INNOCENCE PROJECT CASES
Applicant name: ________________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________________
City _______________________________ State and Zip _______________________________
Phone _____________________________ Email _____________________________________
Identify any courses/other preparation you have had that you think might have prepared you for case
research; e.g., courses on legal research, communications, writing, etc.
Identify any job, work, or internship experiences you have had that you think might have prepared you
for case research.
Rank your skills on the following:
Interview skills:
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
Explain:
Listening skills:
Explain:
Writing skills:
Explain:
Are you able to work on case investigation during the day, during the weekend? Explain why or why
not and any limitations you have on your time.
Do you have a conflict of interest that may prevent you from assisting in specific criminal cases, e.g.
you are a law enforcement officer; you work for a State’s Attorney; you have access to confidential
information that might impact on specific cases. Explain.
Do you have any fears or concerns about coming in contact with criminal defendants, possible
witnesses to a crime, going into low-income or high crime areas? Explain.
What is your perception, if any, of criminal defendants? E.g. You might think that they wouldn’t be
arrested in the first place unless they were guilty. Or you might think once a defendant is convicted
by a jury, that should be the end of it. Explain your thoughts and feelings in this regard.
Explain any experiences or encounters you or your immediate family members or closest friends
have had with the criminal justice system and your impression of that system as a result of those
experiences.
Identify any issues or concerns that you have about working on innocence cases.
Include the name and contact information for at least one reference that is familiar with your skills in
this area.