named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
BLS/EXI Innocence Clinic
Partners with Brooklyn Law School to train law students in innocence work, involving them in case investigations and legal research under supervision
Case Evaluation and Vetting
Reviews prisoner requests through a formal case evaluation form and screens for compelling evidence of innocence, focusing on flawed evidence such as false confessions and mistaken identifications
Impact Litigation
Engages in strategic litigation to advance legal precedent favorable to the wrongfully convicted and expose systemic failures in the justice system
Legal Representation and Litigation
Provides free legal services to indigent prisoners in New York State with strong claims of actual innocence, including post-conviction litigation and appeals
activities · 2 groups
What they do
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 4 activities
- Education on causes of wrongful convictions and criminal justice reformProvides public education and training to legal professionals and the judiciary on systemic flaws contributing to wrongful convictions, including false confessions and prosecutorial misconduct.
- Impact litigation to advance legal precedent on actual innocenceConducts strategic litigation to establish or strengthen legal standards for actual innocence claims, including arguing before appellate courts to secure rulings based on newly uncovered evidence and systemic failures.
- Legal support and capacity building for other wrongful conviction practitionersProvides legal support and collaboration to other organizations and practitioners working on wrongful conviction cases, enhancing their capacity to litigate claims of actual innocence.
- Securing exonerations through litigation and post-conviction advocacySecures full exonerations and not guilty verdicts for wrongfully convicted clients through retrials, court rulings, and joint motions with prosecutors, including cases involving false confessions, withheld evidence, and police misconduct; notable cases include John Bunn, Edward Garry, Selwyn Days, Cory Epps, Earl Walters, and Kerry Max Cook.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
- Legal representation and investigation in non-DNA wrongful conviction casesProvides free legal advocacy and representation to indigent, wrongfully convicted individuals in New York State who lack DNA evidence to support their claims, conducting in-depth investigations that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per case.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$737K
Contributions & grants$737K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$663K
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$482K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$333K
Cash$332K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$333K
Liquid reserves6.0 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +739.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| REBECCA FREEDMAN | ASSISTANT DIRECTOR | 40 | $175K |
| GLENN A GARBER ESQ | FOUNDER | 20 | $100K |
board members · 6
- BOB BALABAN — TRUSTEE
- CARL LOEWENSON — BOARD MEMBER
- GARY BUSACCA — BOARD MEMBER
- JOSH TARNOW — TRUSTEE
- WHITNEY SCHLIMBACH — TRUSTEE
- WILLIAM HELLERSTEIN — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 12
Who they work with
- Bronx District Attorney's Office Government — Adversarial legal relationship involving litigation over withheld evidence in a criminal case.
- Brooklyn Government — Location where client was arrested and prosecuted
- Brooklyn Law School Partner — Codrives the BLS/EXI Innocence Clinic, where EXI staff supervise student interns and conduct clinical legal education.
- Brooklyn Law School Partner — Collaborates through the BLS/EXI Innocence Clinic, where law students assist in vetting cases.
- Buffalo News Partner — Covered Cory Epps's exoneration in published news articles.
- Edward Garry Partner — Client whose conviction was overturned after the organization's legal and investigative work.
- Innocence Project Partner — Collaborated with EXI on the exoneration of Hector Gonzalez.
- Judge Simpson Government — Judge who presided over the exoneration hearing
- Keith Hampton Partner — Local Texas counsel who co-represented Kerry Max Cook alongside EXI in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
- NYPD Government — Law enforcement agency whose officer's misconduct contributed to wrongful conviction
- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Partner — Co-counsel with EXI in representing Selwyn Days, providing legal representation over a decade.
- Queens District Attorney’s Office - Conviction Integrity Unit Partner — Collaborated with EXI on the reexamination of fingerprint evidence and joint motion for exoneration in Earl Walters’ case.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Expert-Driven Challenge to Flawed Evidencemethodology: false_confession_litigationBy deploying expert testimony and reanalysis to challenge discredited forms of evidence—such as false confessions, mistaken eyewitness identifications, and flawed forensic analysis—we produce exonerations because exposing cognitive and systemic biases undermines wrongful convictions.
- Non-DNA Investigative Exonerationmethodology: non-dna_investigative_exonerationBy using traditional investigative methods to uncover new evidence—such as alternate suspects, discredited forensic analysis, or official misconduct—in cases where DNA is unavailable, we achieve exonerations because persistence and reinvestigation can expose systemic failures in the justice system.
- Relentless Legal Advocacy for Actual Innocencemethodology: relentless_representationBy committing to long-term, unwavering litigation in wrongful conviction cases—regardless of complexity or duration—we secure exonerations because sustained legal pressure can overcome institutional resistance and expose flaws such as prosecutorial misconduct, false confessions, or faulty evidence.