Last week, the North Carolina Supreme Court issued two important decisions concerning the way our state imposes prison time on people who committed crimes when they were children. In State v. Kelliher and State v. Conner, the Court reiterated that children are different than adults and that the North Carolina Constitution imposes “limits on the […]
Melissa Boughton
New Wilson Center Report Highlights 7-Year Evolution of Eyewitness Identification
For Immediate Release: May 20, 2022 DURHAM, N.C. — Eyewitness identification has come a long way in the past seven years — the last time the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) summarized the state of research in that area. There have been important new research contributions and increased adoption of reforms in related practices by courts, […]
Wilson Center Applauds Gov. Roy Cooper for Exercising Clemency Power
Late last week, Gov. Roy Cooper announced he would commute the sentences of April Barber, Joshua McKay, and Anthony Willis — three individuals who were sentenced to long terms in prison for crimes they committed when they were teenagers. This is the first time Cooper has exercised his clemency power since he was elected Governor […]
Update on North Carolina Budget, COVID Prison Conditions
By Ruthie Kesri The North Carolina General Assembly recently released its final budget, the first since 2018, and it allocated funds that will directly affect the health and safety of incarcerated people in North Carolina’s prison population. Against the wishes of some county officials and sheriffs, the bill did not include Medicaid expansion, which would […]
Letter to White House: Criminal Justice AI Should Not be ‘Black Box’ or Non-Transparent
By Brandon Garrett and Cynthia Rudin Today, as data-driven technologies have been implemented across a wide range of human activities, new warnings have been issued from a wide range of sources, academic, public policy, and government, regarding the dangers posed by artificial intelligence to society, democracy, and individual rights. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has […]
Connection, Trust, and Recovery: Interview with Sandra Lassiter, Others, of Stick & Stay Prevention
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 part of an occasional series called “Connection, Trust, and Recovery,” by Michele Easter. Certified Peer Support Specialists (CPSS) have lived experience of the struggles they are helping […]
Bass Connections Team Explores Need for Better Jail Data in North Carolina
“We can’t have any evidence-based solutions because we don’t have the evidence. We’re not able to gather and collect evidence. That’s why it’s very important that we have the data so that we can know what’s happening,” — A North Carolina criminal justice advocate on the need for a jail database, Report on the Utility […]
Wilson Center Receives Grant Funding for Plea Bargaining Work
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11 a.m., Nov. 12, 2021 CONTACT: Melissa Boughton (830) 481-6901 melissa.boughton@law.duke.edu DURHAM, N.C. — Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law have received just under $900,000 from Arnold Ventures, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies to […]
Event Recap: Henry McCollum, Leon Brown Attorneys Talk Wrongful Convictions
By Annie Han In 1983, Red Springs, North Carolina, 19-year-old Henry McCollum and 15-year-old Leon Brown were wrongfully arrested for the rape and murder of a young Sabrina Buie. With the teens’ intellectual disabilities (McCollum’s IQ being 51 and Brown’s at 49) and the police’s fabricated evidence, McCollum and Brown were extremely vulnerable to coercion, […]
National Harm from Suspending Licenses in Response to Unpaid, Unaffordable Court Fines and Fees
By Annie Han Driving is critical for many people in North Carolina. North Carolinians need to drive to work, to take their children to school, and to complete other everyday tasks like grocery shopping and attending to their health. But, as important as is the right to drive, it can easily be taken away as […]