Part 2 of our Webinar Series “Life on Hold: The Impact of Driver’s License Suspensions” On March 19th, the Wilson Center for Science and Justice hosted the second installment of the three-part Life on Hold series. The discussion focused on “Failure to Appear” (FTAs), why people miss their court dates, how current responses to FTAs […]
Jennifer Melton
From Research to Real-World Impact: Lessons from My Time at the Wilson Center
Samantha Richter Reflects on her Time in Our McAtee JustScience Lab I replayed the same forty-five seconds of audio three times before I realized I’d stopped transcribing altogether. It was 10:30 p.m. on a Tuesday in my second semester of freshman year. My roommate had just gotten home, filling our dorm with the familiar sounds […]
Recap: How License Suspensions Disrupt Daily Life
Part 1 of Our Webinar Series: Life on Hold On February 19th, the Wilson Center for Science and Justice hosted the first installment of the three-part Life on Hold series. The discussion brought together researchers and individuals directly impacted by North Carolina’s driver’s license suspension policies to explore how they affect employment, economic mobility, and […]
Renewing a Commitment to Justice
Renewing a Commitment to Justice: How the Wilson Foundation Is Sustaining and Advancing the Wilson Center’s Impact
In 2020, Duke alumnus Derek Wilson (A.B. ’86, M.B.A. ’90, P ’15) and the Wilson Foundation provided a $5 million grant to help found the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law. In 2025, they renewed their commitment, enabling the Center to advance its critical research, policy, and educational activities. This partnership has […]
Wilson Center Launches Three Projects Under H.B. 307 to Understand and Strengthen Mental Health Responses Across North Carolina’s Legal System
New research initiatives funded by the NC Collaboratory aim to improve care, reduce criminalization, and support successful reentry The Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law is pleased to announce three major research projects examining the intersection of mental health and the criminal legal system in North Carolina. These projects are part of a broader coalition of […]
Watching Closely: Research Assistant Anya Milberg on Bail, Oversight, and Her Work with the Wilson Center
The Case That Started It All In 2016, a woman named Maranda ODonnell was stopped by police while driving to pick up her four-year-old daughter. The charge was driving with a suspended license. A Harris County judge set her bail at $2,500. She couldn’t pay it. She sat in jail, not because she posed any […]
Recap: Novel Justice with Homer Venters
Outbreak Behind Bars Earlier this year, the Wilson Center for Science and Justice, in partnership with Duke Law’s Health Justice Clinic and the Duke Decarceration Project, welcomed Dr. Homer Venters for a powerful conversation in our Novel Justice Series, highlighting his latest book, Outbreak Behind Bars: Spider Bites, Human Rights, and the Unseen Danger to […]
Wilson Center for Science and Justice Updates DNA Exonerations Database, Adding 80 Cases
Expanded resource now includes 455 DNA exonerations and new findings on false confessions, cited by practitioners nationwide The Wilson Center for Science and Justice has released a major update to its DNA Exonerations Database, adding 80 new cases and bringing the total number of documented DNA exonerations in the United States to 455. The update […]