Innocence Canada gets critical funding in fight for the wrongfully convicted
TORONTO — An organization that has helped exonerate more than 20 Canadians wrongfully convicted of serious crimes is receiving much-needed funding that will allow it to resume tackling new cases.
Innocence Canada, which said in September it was being forced to stop taking on new projects and was laying off some staff after the federal government refused to offer financial help, will receive $275,000 a year for three years from the Ontario government, provincial Attorney General Yasir Naqvi announced Tuesday.
In addition, the Law Society of Upper Canada has agreed to chip in $25,000 a year to help the organization stay afloat.
Debbie Oakley, executive director of Innocence Canada, said in an interview Tuesday that Naqvi had expressed concern about the dramatic scaling back of the group’s work and wanted to help.