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Wrongful convictions

Director's Message: Shining Light on Wrongful Convictions

Every wrongful conviction is a miscarriage of justice that impacts every level of our society, often leading to questions about the fairness of the justice system. Wrongful convictions have a life-long impact on individuals who have been wrongfully convicted, the original victims of crime, and their families. To provide the wrongfully convicted an opportunity to prove their innocence through DNA analysis and to  seek justice...

Wrongful Convictions

The strength of our criminal justice system depends on its accuracy — its ability to convict the guilty and to clear the innocent. But we know that wrongful convictions happen. Identifying and understanding the causes of wrongful convictions is critical to maintaining the integrity of our justice system.

A conviction may be classified as wrongful for two reasons:

  1. The person convicted is factually innocent...

Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence, FY 2019

Closing Date

Notice

In fiscal 2020, all state and local forensic capacity enhancement programs previously managed by NIJ moved to the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

The awards made under this solicitation now are being managed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. To see the complete list of awards, visit the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

NIJ seeks proposals for funding to assist in defraying the costs associated...

NIJ FY18 Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence

Closing Date

Notice

In fiscal 2020, all state and local forensic capacity enhancement programs previously managed by NIJ moved to the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

The awards made under this solicitation now are being managed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. To see the complete list of awards, visit the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

NIJ seeks proposals for funding to assist in defraying the costs associated...

NIJ FY18 Tribal-Researcher Capacity Building Grants

Closing Date

NIJ wants to encourage new, exploratory, and developmental research projects by providing support for the early stages of study development. To help facilitate this process and ensure these projects result in tangible and mutually beneficial studies, NIJ will provide small grants to scientists or technologists who wish to facilitate a new tribal-researcher investigator partnership.

NIJ FY17 Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence

Closing Date

Notice

In fiscal 2020, all state and local forensic capacity enhancement programs previously managed by NIJ moved to the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

The awards made under this solicitation now are being managed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. To see the complete list of awards, visit the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

NIJ seeks proposals for funding to assist in defraying the costs associated...