National Registry of Exonerations

The mission of the National Registry of Exonerations is to collect, analyze, and disseminate information about all known exonerations of innocent criminal defendants in the United States. The Registry is nationally recognized as the authoritative source on causes of wrongful convictions, and our research plays a critical role in efforts to reform the criminal justice system. UC Irvine is the primary home of the Registry, and UC Irvine students and faculty use the Registry for research, teaching, and learning.  

The National Registry of Exonerations currently lists more than 3,000 exonerations of innocent defendants who collectively spent more than 27,000 years in prison, including 75 exonerees who served more than 30 years each.

It also lists 25 group exonerations involving more than 35,000 defendants. 

Each of these stories requires research, social science coding, and writing by our professional staff. Our work is powered by donors like you. Every dollar donated to the Registry goes directly to help us study and disseminate information on wrongful convictions, why they occur and how to prevent them.

We are extremely grateful for any support you can give.


Desktop banner credits: Chicago Sun Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Los Angeles Times, Detroit Free Press 

Mobile banner credits: Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, NJ Advance Media, The Tennessean

Carousel photo credits: Detroit Free Press, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Midwest Innocence Project

Text photo credits: Kansas City Star, Chicago Sun Times, New York Post

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Or you can contact us at james.yokelle@uci.edu.

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