New report examines transport for people experiencing behavioral health crises
Changing the Route
Seeking Compassionate Alternatives to Police Transport in Involuntary Civil Commitment
Our latest report
Wrongful Convictions in North Carolina
Lessons Learned and Recommendations for Continued Reform
Wilson Center Releases New Policy Brief
The Aging Prison Population and Dementia
Best Practices for Care and Release
The Wilson Center leads national and community efforts to reform our criminal legal system, in collaborations, policy work, and research, drawing on the energy and expertise of our students, faculty, and staff at Duke.
Faculty Director and Founder, Professor Brandon Garrett
About the Wilson Center for Science and Justice
The Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law works to advance criminal justice and equity through science and law. The Center's work is non-partisan and evidence-informed. We engage with community stakeholders, academics, and policy makers to conduct and translate interdisciplinary research into effective and practical policy change.
Our work focuses on three key areas: improving the accuracy of the evidence used in criminal cases, promoting fair and equitable outcomes in the criminal legal system, and improving behavioral health outcomes for persons who encounter, or are at risk for encountering, the criminal legal system.
Areas of Focus
Accuracy of Evidence
Preventing wrongful convictions by improving and fundamentally reforming how scientists, the public, judges, lawyers, and jurors understand evidence presented in court
Equity in Criminal Outcomes
Promoting fair and equitable outcomes in the criminal legal system by identifying racial, economic, and other structural inequities at all levels
Behavioral Health Needs
Improving outcomes for persons with mental illness and substance use disorders who encounter, or are at risk for encountering, the criminal legal system
What's Happening
The latest updates and news from the Wilson Center
News from the Wilson Center
Recap: Perspectives on American Gun Violence
The epidemic of gun violence in the United States is a multifaceted problem that claimed nearly 47,000 lives in 2023. Firearm injuries and deaths touch countless others as well – […]
Highlights from our Beyond Bars Event
We were so grateful to partner with the Nasher Museum to host an event in conjunction with the exhibit Processing Systems: Numbers by Sherrill Roland. The exhibit features work by […]
Out now! Our 2023-2024 Annual Report
We are delighted to release our 2023-2024 annual report, which details our work over the last fiscal year! We’ve expanded our work in both the policy and the research arenas across […]
Recap: Community-Based Approaches to Gun Violence
“I’ve never met a single person who has come from prison for killing someone with a gun, who hasn’t been harmed at some point in their life,” said Co-Chair of […]