About Us
To seek justice for the innocent, the wrongfully imprisoned, and those who have suffered manifest injustice under Arizona’s criminal justice system.
When the Arizona Justice Project (AJP) was established in 1998, it became the fifth organization in the United States created to help inmates overturn wrongful convictions. Today, there are close to 70 similar organizations worldwide.
Indigence is frequently associated with injustice and the quality of justice suffers as a result. To prevent denial of access to justice, members from the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice founded the Arizona Justice Project in 1998. Its mission is to represent indigent Arizona inmates whose claims of innocence or manifest injustice have gone unheeded. Every time an accused goes to prison without having received a fair trial, we are one step closer to the loss of our own freedoms. In fact, there is no greater punishment than that imposed on the innocent.
Cases Of Innocence And Manifest Injustice
The Arizona Justice Project reviews and assists in Cases of Actual Innocence or cases in which a Manifest Injustice has occurred. To date, AJP has received over 6,000 requests for assistance, and currently has between 40 to 50 cases in post-conviction relief proceedings under the supervision of a review team.
Oftentimes, the Arizona Justice Project is a last resort for men and women who have been failed by our justice system. Their voices would go unheard and sadly, many innocent people would remain wrongfully behind bars without the hard work of our Arizona Justice Project staff and volunteers.
Staff And Volunteers Working Together
Our review teams generally consist of an Arizona Justice Project staff person or a volunteer lawyer supervisor paired with law students from the Arizona State University College of Law and the University of Arizona College of Law. In addition, the Arizona Justice Project is fortunate to have the help of some of the best investigators in Arizona who spend countless hours tracking down vital information, witnesses, and evidence in our cases.
Educating The Public
In an ongoing effort to both correct past injustices and prevent future wrongful convictions, the Arizona Justice Project distributes a newsletter to help educate the public on the misconceptions surrounding wrongful convictions. It also keeps our supporters updated on our various cases under review, CLE events, legislative projects, groundbreaking forensic science and much more. Please subscribe to our newsletter by entering your email address at the bottom of this page.
Interesting facts about The Arizona Justice Project
- The Arizona Justice Project was founded in 1998 and was the fifth innocence organization formed in the Country.
- The Arizona Justice Project is unique amongst innocence organizations in that we provide assistance to those wrongfully convicted as well as to individuals who have suffered a manifest injustice.
- Since the Arizona Justice Project was formed, we have worked to free 43 individuals from incarceration.
- Thirty-five states provide some form of compensation for the wrongfully convicted. Unfortunately, Arizona is not one of them. We continue to advocate for a compensation law in Arizona.
Not For Profit
The Arizona Justice Project is a Not For Profit charitable organization formed under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Donations to the Arizona Justice Project are tax-deductible as charitable contributions for U.S. federal income tax purposes. There are no donation limits or restrictions on contributions to AJP.
Our EIN: 86-1004924.
View a copy of our most recent Form 990.
2023 Year in Review
2023 has been a banner year for the Arizona Justice Project.
Under the dynamic leadership of Executive Director Lindsay Herf and with guidance from a talented and committed Board of Directors, the Arizona Justice Project continues to make a difference in the lives of those who have been wrongfully imprisoned or who have been the victim of a manifest injustice.
View our 2023 Annual Review in detail.