Apply for help
If you or someone you love has been wrongfully convicted, we want to hear from you. Please read the information below carefully before applying — our review process is thorough, and understanding our criteria upfront will help ensure your application reaches the right hands as quickly as possible.
How to apply
We only accept written applications submitted directly by the individual seeking help — not by family members or attorneys on their behalf. If your loved one or client meets every criterion below, please have them write to us directly at:
Tennessee Innocence Project 700 Craighead St., Suite 300 Nashville, TN 37204
Do not email applications or correspondence to our office. We are unable to accept or respond to phone inquiries about cases or application status — written communication only allows us to give every application the careful attention it deserves.
Criteria for consideration:
- The person claims they are factually innocent of the crime for which they are in prison. (A person is factually innocent if they had no involvement in the crime and were not there. We will not take claims of legal innocence, self-defense, or cases in which the person is guilty of a lesser charge.)
- The person’s direct appeal has been denied (the direct appeal is the automatic appeal that follows a trial).
- The person cannot afford an attorney.
- The person is not serving a sentence on another unrelated charge that will mean he or she will not be released if the conviction at issue is overturned.
- We do not accept cases of parole or probation revocations.
- We do not accept cases from the following offenses: theft, driving under the influence, stalking/harassment, domestic assault, or any misdemeanor.
- Please do not call our office to inquire about the status of an application. We do not have the staff to handle phone calls and they only slow down our review of applications. We respond to all applications by mail.
Get help today.
We respond to every application by mail. If your case appears to meet our criteria, you will receive a second form requesting more detailed information. All information submitted to our office is kept strictly confidential.
Attorney referrals are welcome.
Tennessee Innocence Project does not provide legal advice or make referrals.