Jennifer Kramer is the founder of the Innocence Project of Minnesota, now the Great North Innocence Project. Motivated by the lessons she learned as an Assistant Ramsey County Public Defender and inspired by what she heard at an early Innocence Network Conference, Jennifer gathered a powerful and dynamic group of advocates and launched Minnesota’s first and only innocence organization. In this piece, she reflects on the early days of the organization and what drove its success and growth.
Early in my career, I was an Assistant Ramsey County Public Defender. You learn a lot in that job: about our system of justice, about society, and about humanity. You learn that not everyone gets the same breaks. You learn that the odds are stacked against some people from the start. You learn that as good as our criminal legal system is, it isn’t perfect.
I think so many of us feel “untouchable,” meaning that if we ever did get unduly caught up in the criminal justice system, we would be okay. We think that truth would inevitably prevail and that nothing bad or unfair would happen to us. But, as we know, mistakes do happen; the system has cracks. Perhaps some people fall through the cracks more easily than others, but filling those cracks is crucial for everybody in our society.
In 1999, after I left the Public Defender’s office, my former colleague Mary Mateer, invited me to attend the Innocence Project conference in Chicago with her. Seeing other innocence organizations in action was the spark needed to create the organization in Minnesota. As we know, Minnesota has a formidable judiciary and an excellent public defender network (if I do say so myself!) but a wrongful conviction was not an impossible outcome.
Like the early days of many organizations, it involved countless meetings, phone calls, emails, and other time-consuming tasks. While there was strong interest in the project from the very beginning, securing the funding needed for operations and to hire an executive director was essential. One of the biggest challenges was channeling the enthusiasm and generosity of supporters into tangible outputs.
Many people in the legal community stepped up to help. Hamline University and Hamline University School of Law (now Mitchell Hamline School of Law) served as the organization’s first benefactor and home base long before it officially became an organization. Professors Ed Butterfoss and Jerry Krause were among IPMN’s earliest champions. Lawyers and legal professionals from large firms, small firms, public service, and academia all generously contributed their time and expertise.
It has been many years, and I am sure I am overlooking important contributors, but I especially remember Michael Crommett, Michael Davis, and (my husband) Roger Kramer, as key figures in the organization’s earliest days. As the Innocence Project in Minnesota grew from an idea into a reality, supporters such as Ed Magarian of Dorsey and Professor Sue Myster of Hamline University became instrumental to its success. Their dedication—and the support of so many others—provided the momentum needed to keep the organization moving forward.
I am absolutely amazed by what the Great North Innocence Project has become today. I stepped away from both the board and the organization many years ago, after the third fundraiser. At the time, I felt that five years as an active volunteer was enough and that every organization benefits from new energy and fresh perspectives.
The success of the organization—and the dedication, talent, and passion of its remarkable staff—is truly inspiring. It has grown into something far beyond what any of us could have imagined in those early days. The Great North Innocence Project stands today because of the hard work and commitment of the many employees, board members, and volunteers, past and present, who have devoted themselves to its mission over the years.
In a perfect world, organizations like the Great North Innocence Project would not be necessary, because justice would be guaranteed in every criminal case. But our world is not perfect. For that reason, I hope the organization’s future continues to be guided by the same talent, compassion, and unwavering dedication that have brought it this far.
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