Through its casework, IPNO is illustrating what causes the system failures that lead to wrongful convictions in individual jurisdictions. IPNO uses exonerations to advocate for criminal justice reform that will instill fairness to the administration of justice in the region. Case litigation becomes the engine that drives reform. Each case provides a microcosm of the issues of race and poverty which can define access to justice in the South. Inadequate investigation by law enforcement, an under-funded public defender system, past prosecutorial suppression of exculpatory evidence - these things inevitably create a system rife with error. These errors need first to be proven, and then to be presented as arguments for reform. The litigation of individual innocence cases functions as a gateway to systemic solutions.

IPNO bridges the gap between the lessons taught by legal scholars, forensic scientists and other innocence projects, and the defense attorneys, prosecutors and law enforcement officials in the trenches making everyday decisions about the investigation and litigation of criminal cases.