Our latest report in collaboration with the NC Leadership Forum
Conversations on Community Safety
North Carolina Leaders Across the Aisle Discuss Making Our Communities Safer
Out now!
Defending Due Process: Why Fairness Matters in a Polarized World
By Faculty Director Brandon Garrett
New report examines transport for people experiencing behavioral health crises
Changing the Route
Seeking Compassionate Alternatives to Police Transport in Involuntary Civil Commitment
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 fairness 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 solutions.
Our work focuses on three key areas: improving the accuracy of the evidence used in criminal cases, promoting fair 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
Fairness in Criminal Outcomes
Promoting fair outcomes in the criminal legal system by identifying racial, economic, and other structural disparities at all levels and working with community stakeholders and policy makers to implement solutions
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
New Report: Conversations on Community Safety
North Carolina Leaders Across the Aisle Discuss Making Our Communities Safer Over four meetings last Spring, North Carolina leaders and impacted people from government, business, advocacy, and the community came […]
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 […]