Since its foundation in 2001, with the Equal Justice Works fellowship of Emily Bolton, IPNO has grown to an office of five staff. IPNO is guided by a Board consisting of members of the local legal, business, faith and academic communities, and former prisoners. The foreperson of a jury who had previously sentenced an innocent man to death, and who subsequently campaigned for his release, is IPNO's Board Chair.

IPNO is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.