About
Our impact
A record of results
10 exonerations secured
Since our founding in 2019, TIP has helped secure ten exonerations—accounting for 25% of all known exonerations in Tennessee.
This is a remarkable statistic. It reflects what is possible when dedicated legal expertise, investigation, and community partnerships come together to correct injustice.
300+ years lost behind bars
Those ten exonerations represent over 300 years of wrongful imprisonment—years of family milestones missed, careers unrealized, and dreams deferred.
Each exoneration represents a life restored, a family reunited, and a community made whole.
537+ years of freedom restored
Combined, our exonerees had over 537 years remaining on their sentences at the time of exoneration.
Those are years they will now live free.
Meet the people we’ve helped exonerate
12 active cases in 2026
We are currently fighting for 12 active clients in courts across Tennessee. Read below to learn about two of these clients who are still fighting for their freedom.
Learn more about our active cases
Preventing the next wrongful conviction
Exoneration is only the beginning. At the Tennessee Innocence Project, we are equally committed to preventing wrongful convictions before they happen.
That’s why TIP actively works to reform Tennessee’s laws—ensuring that when new evidence of innocence emerges, courts can review it quickly and fairly, and that those who have lost years of their lives to wrongful convictions receive meaningful support.
Policy change
In 2024, TIP championed bipartisan legislation currently moving through the Tennessee General Assembly:
Tennessee Senate Bill 256 / House Bill 601—establishing a clearer legal pathway for courts to review new evidence of innocence, helping prevent innocent people from remaining imprisoned due to procedural barriers.
Tennessee Senate Bill 477 / House Bill 592—modernizing Tennessee’s exoneree compensation process through the Tennessee Board of Claims while acknowledging the cross-generational harm wrongful convictions inflict on families and communities.
Cultural change
The movement for justice extends beyond the State Capitol. In 2024, the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County unanimously passed a resolution recognizing October 2 as Wrongful Conviction Day, honoring those who were unjustly imprisoned and raising awareness about the urgent need for systemic reform.
These reforms matter not only for the people we serve today, but for every future generation that deserves a justice system that gets it right the first time.
Beyond exoneration: restoration
When an innocent person walks out of prison, they often face a world that has moved on without them—without the stability, resources, or support needed to start over.
Our commitment extends beyond the courtroom through personalized case management and ongoing advocacy that helps exonerees regain stability and independence. We provide wraparound support during the critical transition period after release, including:
- Safe, stable housing
- Employment assistance and job placement
- Family reunification
- Vocational training and continuing education
- Healthcare access
- Transportation for work, school, and essential appointments
- Help navigating administrative and legal needs—including identification, benefits, records, and documentation required to move forward
At the Tennessee Innocence Project, justice means more than freedom. It means restoring dignity and ensuring every exoneree has the opportunity to reclaim the life that was taken from them.Our commitment extends beyond the courtroom through personalized case management and ongoing advocacy that helps exonerees regain stability and independence. We provide wraparound support during the critical transition period after release, including:
- Safe, stable housing
- Employment assistance and job placement
- Family reunification
- Vocational training and continuing education
- Healthcare access
- Transportation for work, school, and essential appointments
- Help navigating administrative and legal needs—including identification, benefits, records, and documentation required to move forward
At the Tennessee Innocence Project, justice means more than freedom. It means restoring dignity and ensuring every exoneree has the opportunity to reclaim the life that was taken from them.
The need is urgent. The work is ongoing.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, in 2025 we reviewed 156 new applications from individuals across Tennessee seeking help to prove their innocence and secured three exonerations, restoring freedom to people who had been wrongfully incarcerated.
Our legal team also carried out essential casework at no cost to our clients, including forensic testing, witness interviews, client visits, consultations and investigations, court filings, and critical documentation review. Beyond the courtroom, we provided re-entry services and ongoing support to help exonerees rebuild their lives after release.
At the same time, we continued advancing legislative reforms that strengthen the integrity of Tennessee’s justice system, working to prevent wrongful convictions and create a more just future for generations to come.
Learn more about our work
See how we’re freeing innocent people and strengthening the justice system across Tennessee.
Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create a more fair, more just society.
John Lewis Georgia's 5th congressional district
Links & Resources
We are fighting every day to correct these injustices
—but we can’t do it alone.