The Project currently accepts applications for legal representation from prisoners convicted in Mississippi who believe that they may have a claim of actual innocence. Actual innocence means that a person had no involvement with the crime they were convicted. The Project only reviews cases in north Mississippi counties. Please click here for a list of counties where we review. If your county is not listed, please visit the Innocence Project of New Orleans’ website for assistance: http://www.ip-no.org/how-we-take-cases.

The Project only accepts application requests directly from prisoners and only by mail. To request an application, a prisoner should contact the Project by mail:

The George C. Cochran Innocence Project
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677-1848

Please understand that we receive a large number of letters every week and it will take some time for us to respond to the application or inquiry. The applicant will be notified when the application is received or if it is determined the applicant’s case is not a case we can take. Otherwise, MIP does not correspond with applicants about their case unless we decide we need additional information to screen the case. If MIP does begin work on a case, project staff will contact the prisoner directly. If MIP decides to represent a prisoner, it will provide the prisoner a written representation agreement to be signed by the prisoner.

Please tell your loved one to be patient. It often takes years before we can begin to review a case.

Do not call our office to inquire about the status of an application. We do not have the staff to handle phone calls and they only slow down our review of applications. 

Counties we represent: