News
Groundbreaking Research Reveals Increase in Life-Without-Parole Sentences Amid Decline in Serious Crime
During a time in which homicide rates continue to fall, and death sentences plummet, life-without-parole (LWOP) sentencing persists at record levels. Although research has examined drivers of incarceration generally, and death sentencing specifically, there has been little research on LWOP sentences, despite their growing prominence. In a new, groundbreaking study, a team of researchers from […]
Tags: death sentencing, incarceration, life without parole, racial justice, structured sentencing
October 27, 2020
ADA Event Panelists Discuss Vital Protections for Disabled People, Concerning Future for Law
By: Jeremy Yu When George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act into law in 1990, he famously said “Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.” In celebration this year of the 30th anniversary of this landmark piece of civil rights legislation, the Wilson Center’s Dr. Marvin Swartz, Professor in Psychiatry […]
Tags: ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act, disabilities, Disability Rights NC, Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Marvin Swartz, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, mental health, Olmstead
October 26, 2020
Student Post: Winston-Salem Police Should Adopt Reform to Exhaust All Alternatives Before Shooting
Editor’s note: There are several Duke University and Duke Law students working with the Wilson Center for Science and Justice this semester, including some who are working on a “blog team.” Those students are learning about the intersection of the criminal system with communications. As part of a recent assignment, four students wrote op-ed-style articles […]
Tags: criminal justice, police reforms, police shootings, police violence, Winston-Salem Police Department
October 23, 2020
Student Post: Wilmington Police Policies Should Reflect Mental Health Best Practices
Editor’s note: There are several Duke University and Duke Law students working with the Wilson Center for Science and Justice this semester, including some who are working on a “blog team.” Those students are learning about the intersection of the criminal system with communications. As part of a recent assignment, four students wrote op-ed-style articles […]
Tags: mental health, Mental health policy, police policies, police violence, use-of-force, Wilmington Police Department
October 21, 2020
Student Post: Updated Greensboro Police Department Policies a Good Start with Room to Grow
Editor’s note: There are several Duke University and Duke Law students working with the Wilson Center for Science and Justice this semester, including some who are working on a “blog team.” Those students are learning about the intersection of the criminal system with communications. As part of a recent assignment, four students wrote op-ed-style articles […]
Tags: Breonna Taylor, deadly force, discretion, police accountability, police policies, training, use-of-force
October 20, 2020
Join Us at Virtual Event Celebrating 30 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act
This year marks the 30th anniversary of President George H.W. Bush signing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. Join us later this week for a panel Q&A exploring the past, present and future of the ADA, and how and the extent to which it has increased access to services for an entire generation. […]
Tags: Americans with Disabilities Act, disabilities, Duke Law, event, Marvin Swartz
Student Post: It’s Time for Raleigh Police to Defer Mental Health Crises to Trained Professionals
Editor’s note: There are several Duke University and Duke Law students working with the Wilson Center for Science and Justice this semester, including some who are working on a “blog team.” Those students are learning about the intersection of the criminal system with communications. As part of a recent assignment, four students wrote op-ed-style articles […]
Tags: mental health, mental health crises, police policies, police violence, policing, use-of-force
October 19, 2020
Wilson Center Signs Letter Calling for Federal Rule Amendment to Stop Use of Unreliable Science in Court
The Wilson Center for Science and Justice has signed on to a letter to the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure at the Administrative Office of the United States Courts calling for the use of only sound scientific evidence in the criminal legal system. “Our respective experiences underscore the importance of amending Federal Rule of Evidence […]
Tags: expert witnesses, federal courts, forensic science, junk science, Rule 702
October 16, 2020