The New Yorker: An Opera for the Wrongfully Convicted
February 26, 2024
The opera "Blind Injustice", the story of six individuals freed through the work of the OIP, was featured in a New Yorker magazine article.
Welcome to the Ohio Innocence Project at Cincinnati Law, where our goal is simple: we want to free every innocent person in Ohio who has been convicted of a crime they didn't commit.
Our work includes helping develop and advocate for lasting criminal justice reform through legislation as well as launching Ohio Innocence Project University, an active network of student groups at colleges across the state.
- Mark Godsey, Co-Founder & Director, Ohio Innocence Project
All donations received by the Ohio Innocence Project are tax-deductible. OIP is held within the University of Cincinnati Foundation’s 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation status and has the Internal Revenue Service identification number 31-0896555.
All donations received help pay for the costly work involved with the OIP’s mission. For example, it costs OIP $100 for a public record request or transcript; it costs $250 for three hours of private investigator time; and it costs $1,000 to conduct a DNA test on evidence.
Donation by Credit Card: foundation.uc.edu/OIP
Donation by Check
Make your check out to the UC Foundation with Ohio Innocence Project in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to the following address:
Attn: Mindy Roy
UC College of Law
PO Box 210040
Cincinnati, OH 45221
If you have questions about other ways to make a gift, please contact Mindy Roy at Mindy.Roy@uc.edu.
The OIP Review is an annual magazine covering OIP's efforts to fulfill its mission.
Each year, the Ohio Innocence Project at Cincinnati Law, which ranks among the most successful projects in the Innocence Network, selects a team of 20-25 law students, the majority of whom are in their second year, to serve as Fellows in either OIP’s legal clinic or in OIP’s policy, legislation and engagement division.
OIP Legal Fellows and staff spend many hours reading and writing letters and having telephone conversations with inmates about their cases. Prior to actively taking on a case, if not before, the OIP staff and Fellows will meet the imprisoned person to discuss the case, the plan for litigation and the expectations of the imprisoned person and the OIP in the case.
OIP Policy Fellows and staff spend many hours researching legislation and advocating for or against bills in the Ohio General Assembly, the main legislative branch of government in Ohio. Policy fellows work directly with state representatives, senators, and their staffs to promote reforms to Ohio’s laws in an effort to both prevent wrongful convictions from occurring, and remedy them when they do. In addition, policy fellows take part in a wide range of professional training, community engagement, and campus-based education efforts around the state.
From May through August, all Fellows work 40 hours per week and receive a small stipend for their work. During the academic year, the Fellows work approximately 10 hours per week and receive class credit for their participation.
To apply to be an OIP fellow you must be an incoming admitted student to the College of Law or a current first-year student.
At the Ohio Innocence Project, our attorneys and students work hard to help wrongfully convicted inmates get out of prison and get the justice they deserve. You can join our staff and students as an intern to help the wrongfully convicted.
Many people express interest in volunteering for OIP. Unfortunately, legal and ethical standards typically prevent us from accepting volunteers.
OIP does provide internships to college students, however. If you are admitted to a college or university, you can join our staff and students as an intern to help the wrongfully convicted.
Internships for college students are available in either OIP’s legal clinic or on OIP’s policy, legislation and engagement team. Students can apply to both internship programs but must submit separate applications.
We are unable to provide funding for internships at OIP.
OIP Legal Clinic Internships
To qualify for internships with the OIP’s Legal Clinic, you must meet the following criteria:
The program runs from semester to semester based on the University of Cincinnati’s academic calendar. Each semester, you must re-apply to be considered but we make no guarantees you will be able to participate in the program for longer than one semester.
Interns working in OIP’s legal clinic are responsible for tasks that include:
To apply for an internship in OIP’s legal clinic, please send the following application materials to OIP’s senior legal assistant, Stephanie King, at kingsp@ucmail.uc.edu:
All applications will be reviewed and responded to by the manager of the internship program. If you qualify and we are interested in learning more about you, an interview at the OIP office will be scheduled.
Internships with OIP’s Policy, Legislation and Engagement Team
Interns working on OIP’s policy team are responsible for tasks that include:
Interns supporting the OIP policy team must have their own laptop or tablet and are able to work remotely for a majority of their hours.
To apply for an internship on OIP’s policy, legislation, and engagement team, please send the following application materials to OIP’s director of policy and engagement, Pierce Reed, at pierce.reed@uc.edu:
Candidates selected for an interview will be offered the opportunity to interview in person, by phone, or through Zoom.
February 26, 2024
The opera "Blind Injustice", the story of six individuals freed through the work of the OIP, was featured in a New Yorker magazine article.
February 16, 2024
The New York Times highlighted UC Law's Ohio Innocence Project and signature operate in national article.
Event: February 29, 2024 7:00 PM
The Ohio Innocence Project will host the benefit lecture event "An Evening for Justice to Benefit the Ohio Innocence Project".
January 28, 2023
Marcus Sapp became the 39th wrongfully-convicted person freed as a result of the work of the Ohio Innocence Project.
January 19, 2023
Ohio Innocence Project exoneree Charles Jackson speak with WKYC-TV in Cleveland about his freedom and moving on after losing nearly three decades wrongfully convicted behind bars.
November 21, 2022
Dean Gillispie of Fairborn won a $45 million civil lawsuit against former Miami Township police detective, Scott Moore, for actions that lead to Gillispie's wrongful imprisonment. Gillispie was freed after 20 years of imprisonment thanks to efforts of the Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati. The Columbus Dispatch and other Ohio media covered Gillispie's civil lawsuit.
December 9, 2022
The Ohio Innocence Project at UC helped free Alan Butts, its 37th client.
December 15, 2022
A Canton man wrongfully convicted and imprisoned of aggravated robbery was released Wednesday thanks to the efforts of the Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Aaron Culbertson is OIP's 38th exonerated client.