New York Must Pass the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act in 2027
Renay Lynch hugs her daughter and granddaughter in Buffalo, NY after being freed in January 2022. (Image: Jeenah Moon/Innocence Project)
Every family. Worth the Fight.
This Wrongful Conviction Day, Oct. 2, take one minute to tell your NY lawmakers: co-sponsor the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act and pass it this January.
Wrongly convicted New Yorkers spend an average of 11.5 years in prison before they walk free — two years longer than the national average. For their families, that’s two more years spent apart. New York’s law makes it effectively impossible for innocent people who pleaded guilty and do not have the benefit of DNA evidence to challenge their convictions in court. This prevents wrongfully convicted individuals with credible innocence claims from getting relief in court.
This bill would:
- Create a pathway for wrongfully convicted individuals to get back into court to prove their innocence — even when their claims don’t involve DNA evidence.
- Provide access to post-conviction discovery.
- Establish access to counsel for those with wrongful conviction claims.
- Permit people with legitimate innocence claims to appeal denied claims.
The Innocence Project is part of a coalition that includes Families and Friends of the Wrongfully Convicted, VOCAL-NY, New York County Defender Services, Legal Aid Society Wrongful Conviction Unit, Brooklyn Defender Services, Center for Appellate Litigation, and other legal organizations supporting The Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act.