By Ruthie Kesri
Plans for a novel Crisis/Diversion facility are currently underway in Orange County. The facility, which will be dedicated to providing behavioral health crisis services and criminal justice diversion, will be the first of its kind in the … Continue Reading →
By Annie Han
The COVID-19 Pandemic has disproportionately impacted people incarcerated in the US with 28% of the current incarcerated population testing positive for the virus compared to 9% of the general population. These outbreaks in prisons present serious health … Continue Reading →
By Ruthie Kesri
Gov. Roy Cooper recently announced the creation of a four-person advisory board to review the prison sentences of juveniles.
“Developments in science continue to show fundamental differences between juvenile and adult minds,” Cooper said in a press … Continue Reading →
By Annie Han
“The 6-year-old dangled his legs above the floor as he sat at the table with his defense attorney,” said Virginia Bridges of the Durham Herald Sun. In March 2021, an article by Bridges described the case of … Continue Reading →
By De’Ja Wood
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) is a community-based diversion program with the goal of reimagining public safety by decriminalizing drug abuse. Within LEAD, officers reduce unnecessary justice involvement for those struggling with substance use by connecting people … Continue Reading →
Editor’s Note: This is the second installment of an occasional series from the Wilson Center’s Michele Easter examining the intersection of nature and agriculture to support recovery, resilience, and community success within justice-involved communities. The logo for this series was … Continue Reading →
By Chinmay Amin
In Harris County, Texas, hearing officers and judges in low-level misdemeanor cases had relied on a cash-bail system prior to 2019. In setting misdemeanor bail, the hearing officers and judges did not routinely inquire into public safety, … Continue Reading →
By Belle Allmendinger
A trial court in North Carolina should not have admitted as an expert a dentist who testified about bite mark evidence in State v. Jonathan Richardson, given the “unanimous scientific consensus that this type of evidence is … Continue Reading →
By Ruthie Kesri
North Carolina will release 3,500 prisoners in state custody early over the next six-months after N.C. civil rights groups struck an agreement with Governor Cooper’s administration.
Under the terms of the agreement, the lawsuit, which alleges that … Continue Reading →
By De’Ja Wood
Dr. Fabiana Alceste is a Latina professor of psychology at Butler University who was born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised Miami, Florida. Dr. Alceste earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and her Bachelor of Science in … Continue Reading →
By Annie Han
Prisoners with mental health issues are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, with over 37% in state or federal prisons diagnosed with mental illness. Their health and behavioral needs are often untreated, or they do not … Continue Reading →
By Belle Allmendinger
The Durham District Attorney’s office released its 2020 Annual Report on February 18th, demonstrating the incredible work being done on several fronts. From advancing racial equity in the criminal legal system to adapting to socially distant courtrooms, … Continue Reading →