Miracle of Innocence Inc
At Miracle of Innocence, we help free the innocent and provide care for them when they come home.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
DNA was first used to conclusively identify criminal assailants in the 1990s. It has become apparent that there are thousands of men and women wrongly convicted and serving lengthy prison sentences for crimes they did not commit. With DNA technology and disclosure of wrongful convictions, there have been efforts to explore the reasons for these wrongful incarcerations and to uncover them, and free the victims of such injustices. The problem of uncovering and then convincing a court of a wrongful conviction is a daunting challenge requiring the work of investigators, forensic experts, and attorneys. Being wrongfully incarcerated and suffering the indignity, frustration, and pain of that injustice are almost unfathomable. Miracle of Innocence (MOI) seeks to right those wrongs by freeing innocent inmates. It also recognizes that upon release those who have been incarcerated are in dire need of services and assistance to re-enter society. MOI is proud to provide such services.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Retrial to Free the Innocent
After an assessment and acceptance process, we assist innocent prisoners with referrals for legal representation. We provide legal resources for case investigation, case development, trial resources, appeals, and prisoner representation.
Exoneree Comprehensive Care
We support the re-entry to society of exonerees through providing or obtaining referrals for housing, credentials & identification, communication, job opportunities, education & training, life skills & mentorship, physical & mental health, and transportation.
Social Justice Education & Advocacy
We aim to educate communities about the needs of innocent prisoners. We educate the public to gain support for their release and re-entry success through public speaking events that emphasize the need for judicial reform, social justice, and racial equity.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The primary goal of Miracle of Innocence (MOI) is to free and exonerate men and women sentenced in Missouri or Kansas to life, death, or lengthy prison terms for crimes they did not commit. Freeing the innocent also involves helping the freed person adjust to life outside the prison. MOI assists them by obtaining the services and materials needed to ease the challenging transition from incarceration to a thriving existence, including clothing, medical care, housing, employment, financial support, and psychological counseling.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Miracle of Innocence (MOI) receives hundreds of requests for help from incarcerated individuals. We look for cases of actual innocence and from that group select cases to work on to free that person from the wrongful conviction. MOI thoroughly studies the complete case record before committing to an inmate. Once committed, MOI conducts a thorough independent investigation, including interviewing witnesses, gathering forensic information, hiring experts, and ultimately obtaining legal representation for the client. Once the person is freed, MOI works with him or her to find employment, housing, and medical care.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Miracle of Innocence (MOI) has developed a dependable base of contributors who have supported us consistently since our founding in 2017. The donor base has increased every year. In addition, our board of directors actively attracts new donors. At times we have found donors who are willing to fund the costs of a specific case. Costs for any given case, however, vary widely. A simple DNA exoneration can cost as little as $30,000 but an exoneration resulting from a full field investigation and court procedure can cost upwards of $350,000. A field investigation can take between 4 to12 years to complete. There are additional costs associated with supporting freed individuals, which costs vary depending on their base of family support. Our current donor base provides us with the financial capability to serve our present caseload.
We have a full-time paid staff of three, a part-time paid staff of two, and ___ retired people and university students who volunteer anywhere from 10 to 20 hours per week reviewing and developing cases. Of the full-time staff, we have a Development Director, Executive Director, and Outreach/Volunteer Director; part-time staff includes two co-founders/exonerees and an administrative assistant; and___ volunteers. We also have two law firms with expertise in post-conviction exonerations on retainer. All of these people enable us to work on our mission. The twelve-member board is also active in furthering the goals of the organization. Everyone who works at MOI is dedicated and enthusiastic about their objectives to identify cases of wrongful conviction, investigate to free the wrongly convicted, and then support them once freed.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Miracle of Innocence Inc
Board of directorsas of 03/01/2022
John Petersen
Polsinelli Law Firm
Term: 2020 - 2023
Mary Putney
Accountant
Darryl Burton
Co-Founder
Lamonte McIntyre
Co-Founder
Valerie Burton
Director of Volunteer & Community Outreach
Jim Cousins
Centurion, Inc.
Milton C. Grimes
Civil Right Attorney
Krista Klaus
Garmin International
Bruce Kusmin
Mariner Wealth Advisors
Tom Mertz
TradeNet Publishing
Kevin Moriarty
Ret. Chief Judge of JoCo DC
Sean O'Brien
UMKC School of Law
Nikki Newton
UMB Wealth Management
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
No data
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/11/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.