Miracle of Innocence Inc

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.

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.

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.