News

New Article Explores Police Officer Barriers to Mental Health

Wilson Center Postdoc Dr. Meret Hofer co-wrote an article identifying police officers’ treatment seeking barriers in order to outline a multi-pronged strategy for improving the accessibility of mental health services for police. The paper, “There Was No Plan in Place to Get Us Help”: Strategies for Improving Mental Health Service Utilization Among Law Enforcement – co-written […]

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May 4, 2021

Aya Gruber Talks Feminist War on Crime at Novel Justice Event

By Annie Han On April 6th, Aya Gruber, professor at the University of Colorado Law School, joined the Wilson Center for the last Novel Justice event of the spring. She delved into her book The Feminist War on Crime: The Unexpected Role of Women’s Liberation in Mass Incarceration, which documents the American feminists’ role in […]

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April 21, 2021

Planning Underway for Crisis/Diversion Facility in Orange County

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 county. “We have so many good things in place here,” said Caitlin Fenhagen, the Director […]

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Viral Injustice: COVID-19 is Disproportionately Impacting Incarcerated Population

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 risks to the incarcerated, staff, and communities surrounding them, and they have forced courts to […]

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April 20, 2021

Governor Creates Board to Review Juvenile Sentences

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 release. “For those who have taken significant steps to reform and rehabilitate themselves, this process […]

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April 19, 2021

NC Considers Raising Minimum Age of Prosecution From 6 to 10

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 a young boy forced to appear in court for picking a tulip from a lawn […]

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April 16, 2021

Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Focuses on Services and Treatment Over Arrest

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 who use drugs to services and treatment that prioritize their health and wellbeing. On Thursday, […]

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April 15, 2021

Growing Above and Beyond: UCAN Farming Skills Support Reentry

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 created by Pitch Story Lab, the student-run creative agency at Duke University. By Michele Easter After […]

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April 12, 2021