Post Conviction Justice Unit

The mission of the Post-Conviction Justice Unit (PCJU) is to provide fair and independent review of convictions and sentences obtained by the California Department of Justice in order to exonerate the innocent and re-sentence eligible individuals. PCJU also provides assistance to county prosecutors when conflicts or resource limitations prevent meaningful conviction or sentence review. PCJU is committed to working with victims, incarcerated persons, and other stakeholders to achieve justice in these cases.

In 2023, Attorney General Rob Bonta established the California Department of Justice's first-ever Post Conviction Justice Unit. Building on DOJ’s commitment to transparency and accountability, PCJU will work to support integrity in the criminal legal system and seek to remedy cases where there have been miscarriages of justice.

Learn more about the eligibility requirements for conviction review and sentencing and find resources below. Please contact PCJU at pcju@doj.ca.gov with any questions.

Conviction Review for Claims of Factual Innocence

The Attorney General has a profound interest and legal duty to ensure the continued integrity of criminal convictions obtained by the State. To protect these interests, Attorney General Bonta has charged the Post-Conviction Justice Unit (PCJU) with reviewing credible claims of factual innocence. In accord with the special duties of a prosecutor and other relevant laws, the Post-Conviction Justice Unit has developed criteria for reviewing convictions prosecuted by the Department of Justice and, in certain cases, other prosecution agencies where there is a credible claim of factual innocence. Any person convicted of a crime prosecuted by the DOJ – also called the Attorney General's Office – who has a credible claim of factual innocence may submit an application for review. Under certain circumstances, PCJU may also review applications for convictions obtained by county prosecutors within the state.

Prosecutor Initiated Resentencing

As a part of California’s sentencing reform efforts, the Legislature amended Penal Code section 1172.1 to enable prosecutors throughout the state to seek resentencing for people convicted of felony charges who demonstrate they no longer pose an unreasonable risk to public safety and relief is in the interests of justice. In order to take advantage of this opportunity to give eligible applicants a "second look," the PCJU has worked with a variety of stakeholders to develop criteria for eligibility. Eligible candidates may submit an application for review.