Ending Cash Bail for Most Misdemeanors Is Associated with Improved Public Safety
New Report Analyzes Impacts Six Years After the Implementation of New Misdemeanor Bail Policies in Harris County, Texas
Our latest report
Plea Tracking in the Durham County District Attorney’s Office
Our second report unlocking the "black box" of plea bargains
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
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.
Areas of Focus
Improving Fairness and Public Safety
Advancing data-driven solutions to racial, economic, behavioral health, and other structural disparities in the criminal legal system to strengthen communities and improve safety for all
Building Pathways Out of the Criminal Legal System:
Improving supports for people as they return to their communities after incarceration and preventing entry into the criminal legal system through alternative models
Preventing Wrongful Convictions
Promoting better forensic practices and legal decision-making to eliminate wrongful convictions and strengthen fairness of and trust in the criminal legal system
Advancing Fair Sentencing and Expanding Pathways to Release
Promoting second chances and fairer sentencing to build a justice system that values accountability, redemption, and public safety
Reducing the Harms of Criminal Legal System Involvement
Reducing financial and behavioral health harms to individuals as a result of criminal legal system involvement to create safer and more stable communities
What's Happening
The latest updates and news from the Wilson Center
News from the Wilson Center
Ending Cash Bail for Most Misdemeanors Is Associated with Improved Public Safety
New Report from the Wilson Center for Science and Justice Analyzes Impacts Six Years After the Implementation of New Misdemeanor Bail Policies in Harris County, Texas In 2019, Harris County, […]
The Problem of Debt-Based Driver’s License Suspensions
Nearly one million people have had their driver’s license suspended for court debt. To solve this problem, we need to end debt-based driver’s license suspensions for all. By Lindsay Bass-Patel […]
Recap: Life after Life
Formerly incarcerated discuss experiences behind bars and the importance of second chances This semester, we were honored to join the Duke Decarceration Project and Duke’s Criminal Defense Clinic in welcoming […]
Plea Tracking in the Durham County District Attorney’s Office
Wilson Center for Science and Justice Release New Report on Plea Bargaining in the Durham County District Attorney’s Office Second report on data analysis reveals key insights into Durham’s plea […]