News

By Annie Han In December, North Carolina’s Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice (TREC) released 125 recommendations that encompass all aspects of the criminal justice system, starting with police contact, then the courts, and sentencing. “North Carolina can reimagine public safety to provide accountability for victims and safety for communities without the grotesque […]

Editor’s Note: If you’ve ever needed help but weren’t sure where to turn, then you know how important just one trustworthy guide can be. This blog post is the first of an occasional series called “Connection, Trust, and Recovery,” by Michele Easter. The series is about how peer supporters can help people who are returning […]

Thomas Maher, who has served as Executive Director at the Wilson Center, will be departing to return to private practice on January 1. Maher, who has taught criminal trial practice to Duke Law students for nearly 30 years, joined the Center in March 2020. He is returning to criminal defense work in the hopes of […]

By De’Ja Wood This summer, the murder of George Floyd seized national attention and sparked protests and discourse about police violence across the country. The ongoing discussion about police brutality led to an online petition calling for Colorado government agencies to reopen the investigation in the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year old Black man […]

Wilson Center researchers recently joined Nicholas Scurich, Associate Professor of Criminology, Law & Society, Vice Chair of the Department of Psychological Science at the University of California in Irvine, to explain their findings about lay jurors perceptions of forensic evidence. Wilson Center Director Brandon Garrett and Research Director Dr. William Crozier described two experiments as […]

By Sydney Gaviser In light of high-profile police uses of force and subsequent protests this summer, police officers have been scrutinized more than ever. While some of the conversation has related to rules for police use of force and how police are funded, or defunded, another focus has been on how police officers are hired, […]

By: Alexi DeLara Every year, Duke University offers the opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in Bass Connections, year-long research projects spanning a variety of topics. These students work as a team alongside faculty with a common end goal, which is dependent on the project. This year, there are two projects that individuals […]

The Greensboro News & Record ran an editorial this weekend from Dr. Marvin Swartz and Dr. Allison Robertson, Professor and Assistant Professor, respectively, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. From the article: Recent elections brought resurgent national interest in the legalization of marijuana. This was partly fueled by the need for new tax […]