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Our mission is to advance criminal justice and fairness through law and science
We envision a criminal legal system that is safe for all people, supports recovery, and reduces criminalization
The Wilson Center for Science and Justice brings together faculty and students at Duke University in law, medicine, behavioral health, public policy, and arts and sciences to pursue research, policy, and education to improve criminal justice outcomes.
Our work is non-partisan and evidence-informed. We engage with community stakeholders, academics, and policy makers to create safer communities and a fairer criminal legal system.
What we bring to implementing criminal justice solutions:
- Researchers well-versed in quantitative and qualitative methods to study the key issues in the criminal legal system
- Key insight into ways in which criminal legal involvement intersects with behavioral health
- A collaborative approach that translates interdisciplinary, data-driven research into practical and effective public policy solutions
Our Areas of Focus:
- Improving Fairness and Public Safety
- Building Pathways Out of the Criminal Legal System
- Preventing Wrongful Convictions
- Advancing Fair Sentencing and Expanding Pathways to Release
- Reducing the Harms of Criminal Legal System Involvement
The Center launched in 2019 with a $4.7 million grant from the Charles Koch Foundation. In 2020, the Center received a $5 million grant from The Wilson Foundation to fund its research and educational activities. Additional support for the Center has been provided by Stand Together, Arnold Ventures, the Vital Projects Fund, and the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE), #StartSmall, NC Department of Health and Human Services, Just Trust, The Institute for Humane Studies, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation.
Read more about our team and our advisory board, and read our latest annual report here.
Our Partners
