Durham Events Spotlight Stories from the Criminal Legal System DURHAM, N.C. — April has been proclaimed Second Chance Month in North Carolina, Durham County and nationally. Each year, Second Chance Month highlights the importance — to individuals and communities — of helping people successfully return from incarceration. Members of the public and press are invited […]
Category: Blog
Policy Director Angie Weis Gammell Speaks at Hearing on Police Use of Force
East Lansing, Michigan hosted a public hearing in March on police use of force that included experts and community members. Center Policy Director Angie Weis Gammell was invited to speak at this hearing on best practices for use of force policies. Weis Gammell presented the American Law Institute’s Use of Force Principles and discussed how East Lansing […]
Sixth Harris County Bail Monitor Report Released
Center Faculty Director Brandon Garrett, the Independent Bail Monitor in the ODonnell v. Harris County Consent Decree, and Deputy Monitor Sandra Guerra Thompson released their sixth 6-month report last month. The Consent Decree introduced large-scale bail reforms with secured money bonds no longer required for most misdemeanor cases. The monitors found that public safety continues to benefit. Bail reforms […]
NC Supreme Court Imposes Limits on Severe Punishment for Youth
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 […]
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 […]