Submit a Claim

Qualifications

In order for his/her case to qualify for Center review, an inmate must: 

  • Have been convicted of a felony committed in North or South Carolina
  • Assert a credible claim of innocence
  • Claim complete, actual innocence (i.e., they did not commit or have any involvement in the crime)
  • Have no more rights to appeal
  • Be currently unrepresented by an attorney
  • Have the possibility of new evidence that was not previously presented at trial or heard in a post-conviction motion
  • Be claiming innocence for all convictions for which he/she is serving time

If you are looking for assistance for an inmate in another state, please visit the Innocence Network member directory to find an organization in your area.

How to Submit a Claim

Anyone can submit an innocence claim to the Center— family members, attorneys, friends, witnesses, private citizens, or the inmates themselves. If you know an inmate who may have been wrongfully convicted, you can:

  • Print out the forms below and forward them to the inmate for completion or
  • Contact the Center:

North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence 
P.O. Box 52446 
Shannon Plaza Station 
Durham, North Carolina 27717-2446
(919) 489-3268
admin@nccai.org

North Carolina

Necessary Forms

All inmates making innocence claims in the state of NC need
to fill out the following forms:

An inmate will need to fill out additional forms if he/she
took a guilty plea or if his/her conviction(s) involved a child sex offense:

South Carolina

Necessary Forms

All inmates making innocence claims in the state of SC need
to fill out the following forms:

An inmate will need to fill out additional forms if he/she
took a guilty plea or if his/her conviction(s) involved a child sex offense:

Formas Necesarias

Por favor nota que también ofrecemos nuestras formas en español: