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 […]
Category: Blog
Event Recap: A Blueprint for Bail Reform
By Chinmay Amin In Harris County, Texas, hearing officers and judges in low-level misdemeanor cases had relied on a cash-bail system prior to 2019. In setting misdemeanor bail, the hearing officers and judges did not routinely inquire into public safety, flight risk, or whether a defendant was homeless, indigent, or unable to pay. In most […]
Amicus: NC Court Should Not Have Admitted Dentist as Expert on Bite Mark Evidence
By Belle Allmendinger A trial court in North Carolina should not have admitted as an expert a dentist who testified about bite mark evidence in State v. Jonathan Richardson, given the “unanimous scientific consensus that this type of evidence is inherently unreliable.” An amicus brief setting out the reliability concerns inherent in bite mark analysis, […]
COVID Settlement Means NC Will Release 3,500 Incarcerated People Early
By Ruthie Kesri North Carolina will release 3,500 prisoners in state custody early over the next six-months after N.C. civil rights groups struck an agreement with Governor Cooper’s administration. Under the terms of the agreement, the lawsuit, which alleges that prison conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic have violated incarcerated persons’ constitutionally-guaranteed rights, will halt for […]
Faculty Spotlight Series: Fabiana Alceste
By De’Ja Wood Dr. Fabiana Alceste is a Latina professor of psychology at Butler University who was born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised Miami, Florida. Dr. Alceste earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and her Bachelor of Science in Criminology from the University of Florida and earned her Ph.D. from John Jay College of […]
Emerging Health Model Proving Effective at Reducing Convictions, Jail Time
By Annie Han Prisoners with mental health issues are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, with over 37% in state or federal prisons diagnosed with mental illness. Their health and behavioral needs are often untreated, or they do not receive proper care. They also face significant challenges upon release when transitioning back into the […]
Durham DA Highlights 2020 Successes, Partnerships in Annual Report
By Belle Allmendinger The Durham District Attorney’s office released its 2020 Annual Report on February 18th, demonstrating the incredible work being done on several fronts. From advancing racial equity in the criminal legal system to adapting to socially distant courtrooms, this report highlights internal and external partnerships, including with the Wilson Center for Science and […]
Organizations to US Attorney: Reduce Prison Population to Minimize COVID Risks
The Wilson Center for Science and Justice is one of several organizations that signed on to a letter last week urging U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to augment efforts to transfer federal incarcerated persons to home confinement and pursuant to compassionate release, and to not pursue re-incarceration of released persons. The single most effective strategy […]
Reentry Event Highlights Need For More Resources
By De’Ja Wood On Tuesday, March 9, Alice Marie Johnson and Dontae Sharpe joined the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law to discuss community re-entry challenges for those people who have been incarcerated. Johnson is a criminal justice reform advocate and former federal prison who served almost 22 years in prison. It […]
Slobogin & Garrett’s ‘Law on Police’ and Reforms Today
By Annie Han Months of Black Lives Matter marches across the nation followed the tragic murder of George Floyd to protest police use of excessive force against Black individuals. Professors Brandon L. Garrett of Duke Law School and Christopher Slobogin of Vanderbilt University School of Law recently assessed how American constitutional law continues to ignore […]