SPRINGFIELD, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW)  — The Illinois Innocence Project at the University of Illinois Springfield is marking 25 years of investigating wrongful convictions in Illinois.

The project, which provides its services free of charge, has helped exonerate 34 people who were wrongfully imprisoned for crimes they did not commit, according to project Director Stephanie Kamel.

The project focuses on serious felony cases, often involving people who received lengthy prison sentences. Kamel said the cases can take years to investigate and litigate.

“We tend to take very difficult cases where, oftentimes, murder, high-level drug crimes, things like that, where the sentence is very long,” Kamel said.

The project receives about 200 requests for assistance each year but takes only a small percentage of those cases. Cases must involve an Illinois conviction, and the person generally must have at least eight years remaining on their prison sentence to allow time for an investigation and court proceedings.

Kamel said the project also considers an applicant’s criminal history when determining whether to take a case.

The project works with undergraduate students at UIS, who receive training in evaluating potential wrongful-conviction cases and present their findings to the legal team. A wrongful-conviction course is also offered every semester at UIS.

Kamel said the project’s work has evolved as researchers and attorneys have learned more about the common factors that contribute to wrongful convictions.

DNA evidence has played an important role in that development, she said, particularly as DNA testing has been used to revisit evidence in older cases.

One case Kamel highlighted is that of Brian Beals, who was wrongfully convicted in 1988 and spent 35 years in prison.

Beals was a Southern Illinois University Carbondale student studying law enforcement when he returned home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. Kamel said Beals became involved in a confrontation with a drug dealer in the Englewood neighborhood.

As Beals drove away, shots were fired. A woman was shot in the leg and her 6-year-old child was killed.

Beals was later identified as the shooter and convicted.

The Illinois Innocence Project eventually reinvestigated the case. Kamel said photographs of Beals’ vehicle showed gunshots in the back of the car, among other evidence the project reviewed.

Beals was released from prison about two and a half years ago. Kamel said he received a certificate of innocence last year and has since become active in his community through art and other work.

Kamel said people who are exonerated can face significant challenges after leaving prison, including a lack of access to services and, in some cases, strained relationships with family members.

“They are often released with nothing,” Kamel said.

The Illinois Innocence Project continues working with clients after their release, Kamel said, helping them navigate life after wrongful imprisonment.

The project is also marking International Wrongful Conviction Day with a flag display outside the UIS Student Union. The display includes flags representing people who have been exonerated.

Kamel said the display includes blue flags representing Illinois exonerations. She said 584 people have been exonerated in Illinois, while thousands more have been exonerated across the United States.

The project is scheduled to hold its 25th anniversary gala Nov. 7. More information about the event and tickets is available through the Illinois Innocence Project.