Attorney General's Conviction Integrity Unit

File a request for review and learn more about the work of the Conviction Integrity Unit.

Table of Contents

The Attorney General’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) is an independent unit within the Executive Bureau. The CIU reports directly to the First Assistant Attorney General. The goal of this unit is to increase the confidence in the integrity of the criminal prosecutions and convictions the office has obtained.

The CIU investigates claims of innocence to determine whether the person convicted was not the person who committed the crime and other cases where the integrity of the investigation that resulted in a conviction is in question. Examples of potential conviction integrity concerns include: police or prosecutorial misconduct, the unfairness of the process the defendant received, and newly discovered or available evidence that makes the conviction unreliable.  Ultimately, the CIU Director will recommend appropriate steps to remediate any wrongful convictions or other forms of misconduct to the Attorney General. 

The CIU will only consider cases where a person:

  1. was prosecuted in a criminal case by the Attorney General’s Office in a Massachusetts district or superior court;
  2. was found guilty after trial, pleaded guilty to an offense, or had a guilty plea imposed after initially receiving a continuation without a finding (CWOF);
  3. has exhausted all their state-level post-conviction appellate rights (ex. filed an appeal in the appeals court and a decision has been issued); and
  4. makes a claim of actual innocence or claims that the integrity of the conviction is in question.   

If the applicant meets all these criteria, the CIU will conduct a preliminary review. If there is substantial evidence to support an applicant’s innocence or if there is substantial evidence affecting the integrity of the investigation that resulted in a conviction, a full re-investigation of the case will proceed. Priority review will be given to those currently serving an incarcerated sentence because of the challenged conviction.

The CIU cannot provide you with legal advice or act as your attorney. If you have any questions concerning your legal rights (ex. questions about filing motions in court or filing civil lawsuits) you should contact a private attorney. If you are currently represented by an attorney, the CIU will only communicate with your attorney.

Requests for Review

Requests for review should be made by filling out the form available at the link below.

Request for Review Form

The completed form may be emailed to: AGO-CIU@mass.gov

Or printed and mailed to:

Office of the Attorney General

Conviction Integrity Unit 

One Ashburton Place, 20th Floor

Boston, MA 02118

If you have questions about the CIU or your pending request for review, you may send an email to AGO-CIU@mass.gov or contact Mary L. Nguyen, Director, Conviction Integrity Unit, at 617-963-2929

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