Jennifer Melton
Gift from Duke Alumnus David McAtee Establishes the McAtee JustScience Lab at the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law
New initiative expands opportunities for students to engage in data-driven research, legal, and policy work aimed at improving our criminal justice system for all The Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law has received a generous gift from Duke University alumnus David McAtee (A.B. ‘91) to establish the McAtee JustScience Lab, a visionary […]
Ending Cash Bail for Most Misdemeanors Is Associated with Improved Public Safety
New Report from the Wilson Center for Science and Justice Analyzes Impacts Six Years After the Implementation of New Misdemeanor Bail Policies in Harris County, Texas In 2019, Harris County, Texas, eliminated a required cash bail schedule for misdemeanors as a result of the ODonnell v. Harris County settlement. Instead, most people arrested for misdemeanors […]
The Problem of Debt-Based Driver’s License Suspensions
Nearly one million people have had their driver’s license suspended for court debt. To solve this problem, we need to end debt-based driver’s license suspensions for all. By Lindsay Bass-Patel and Rita Grunberg Did you drive your car today? Maybe you drove to work, to church, or to your kids’ school. Maybe you went […]
Recap: Life after Life
Formerly incarcerated discuss experiences behind bars and the importance of second chances Duke Decarceration Project Members with Shariff Ingram and Kolanda Wooten This semester, we were honored to join the Duke Decarceration Project and Duke’s Criminal Defense Clinic in welcoming Shariff Ingram and Kolanda Wooten to Duke Law. Both Mr. Ingram and Ms. Wooten were […]
Plea Tracking in the Durham County District Attorney’s Office
Wilson Center for Science and Justice Release New Report on Plea Bargaining in the Durham County District Attorney’s Office Second report on data analysis reveals key insights into Durham’s plea bargaining system A recent report from the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law produced with data gleaned in collaboration the Durham District […]
Community Safety, Driver’s License Suspension, and Fairness: Lessons from NCLF
Recap from our Webinar Last month we cohosted a webinar with our colleagues at the North Carolina Leadership Forum (NCLF), featuring: Sen. Warren Daniel, North Carolina State Senator (District 46) serving Buncombe, Burke and McDowell Counties Frankie Roberts, Executive Director of LINC, which provides reentry services for people leaving incarceration Matt Scott, District Attorney for Robeson […]
New Report: Conversations on Community Safety
North Carolina Leaders Across the Aisle Discuss Making Our Communities Safer Over four meetings last Spring, North Carolina leaders and impacted people from government, business, advocacy, and the community came together to discuss an important question: What should we do to make North Carolina communities safe? Today we’re pleased to issue our report detailing those […]
Recap: Perspectives on American Gun Violence
The epidemic of gun violence in the United States is a multifaceted problem that claimed nearly 47,000 lives in 2023. Firearm injuries and deaths touch countless others as well – from bereaved family members to affected communities suffering the collective loss and trauma of everyday gun violence. In a nation where private ownership of firearms […]
Highlights from our Beyond Bars Event
We were so grateful to partner with the Nasher Museum to host an event in conjunction with the exhibit Processing Systems: Numbers by Sherrill Roland. The exhibit features work by Sherrill Roland, Assistant Professor of Sculpture at the University of North Carolina from his ongoing exploration of the criminal justice system. The works are part […]