Fighting Wrongful Convictions Across Massachusetts
We identify and fight to overturn wrongful convictions across the state. Our attorneys represent indigent state defendants who have been convicted and punished for crimes they did not commit. We accept both DNA and non-DNA based innocence claims, with special attention to cases involving eyewitness identification, flawed or invalidated forensic science, and false confessions.
Need help with a Massachusetts innocence case?
If you are an indigent defendant wrongfully convicted of a Massachusetts state crime, you can apply for our assistance. Alternatively, current or former attorneys can refer their clients to us for help.
For more resources, select an option that matches your needs:
We don’t fight alone.
The CPCS Innocence Program is part of the Committee for Public Counsel Services: the Massachusetts state agency tasked with providing lawyers to people who cannot afford an attorney. We are organized under the CPCS Private Counsel Division.
We regularly partner with other innocence organizations, including:
- The New England Innocence Project (NEIP), a non-profit serving Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
- The Boston College Innocence Program, a legal clinic focused on cases in which forensic evidence is not enough to prove innocence
We also belong to the Innocence Network, a group of organizations from all over the world dedicated to fighting wrongful convictions.
If you want to know more about the CPCS Innocence Program, contact our staff.
Press inquiries should be directed to our director, attorney Lisa Kavanaugh.
We regularly accept students for volunteer and internship positions at our office in Boston, Massachusetts. To get involved, please reach out! We are currently accepting applications for 2025 Spring Internships.