This article examines the problem of criminal debt and addresses law and policy reforms and the constitutional question of whether such debt can be imposed on persons who lack ability to pay, and what Equal Protection, Due Process, Excessive Fines Clause, and other requirements must be satisfied to constitutionally impose criminal debts. By: Brandon Garrett […]
Publication Type: Articles
Unified Criminal Justice Reform
This article questions a two-Americas framing of criminal justice and instead suggests that American attitudes have long been far more complex, but also more unified, than often supposed. Most people in fact care about both criminal control and due process. As a result, a range of reform approaches may bridge social, partisan, and identity-based divides […]
Juror Perceptions of Opposing Expert Forensic Psychologists: Preexisting Attitudes, Confirmation Bias, and Belief Perseverance
This study investigated how potential jurors’ initial opinions about mentally ill individuals might interact with the order in which opposing expert testimony is presented. By: Lauren Hudachek and Adele Quigley-McBride — Psychology, Public Policy, and Law (2022). Read the article
Surveying Practicing Firearm Examiners
This study surveyed practicing firearm and toolmark examiners about casework as well as their views about the potential role that statistics might play in future firearm examinations and expert witness testimony. By: Nicholas Scurich, Brandon L. Garrett, and Robert M. Thompson — Forensic Science International: Synergy (2022). Read the article
Face Value? How Jurors Evaluate Eyewitness Face Recognition Ability
Although reports of post-identification confidence are not always reliable indicators of eyewitness accuracy, jurors rely heavily on eyewitness confidence to evaluate eyewitnesses. Face memory ability tests, however, provide objective information about a person’s ability to encode and recognize a face and affects the strength of the connection between confidence statements and accuracy. This study examines […]
AEDPA Repeal
This article provides a legislative roadmap for habeas reform through Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA) repeal. By: Brandon L. Garrett and Kaitlin Phillips — Cornell Law Review (2022). Read the article
Impact of Trauma Education and Growth Mindset Messaging on Public Attitudes about the Criminal Legal System
Identifying ways to shift public attitudes toward support for alternative approaches to criminalized behavior is necessary to address mass incarceration. This study examines whether education on the impacts of traumatic events may be one strategy to increase such support and whether effects can be amplified through incorporation of growth mindset messaging. By: Eva McKinsey, Sarah […]
A Practical Tool for Information Management in Forensic Fecisions: Using Linear Sequential Unmasking-Expanded (LSU-E) in Casework
Contextual information can influence how forensic analysts perceive, interpret, and evaluate evidence. Proper information sequencing can reduce bias and improve the repeatability and reproducibility of forensic decisions. Linear Sequential Unmasking–Expanded (LSU-E) prioritizes objective, relevant, and non-suggestive information. To close the gap between research and practice, we developed a worksheet to help laboratories and analysts implement […]
The Bridge Between Racial Justice and Clinical Practice
This article examines the factors leading to the the failure of the U.S. mental health care system in caring for Black and Brown people with serious mental illnesses, including the Inmate Exclusion Policy and the failure of providers to accept Medicare. By: Stephanie A. Rolin, M.D., M.P.H., Danielle S. Jackson, M.D., M.P.H., and Marvin S. […]
Understanding the Impact of Driver’s License Suspension: Lay Opinion in Impacted and Non-Impacted Populations
This article published in Justice Evaluation examines the impact of driver’s license suspensions. The authors surveyed people in North Carolina (N = 853) and found that 18% of respondents had a suspended license, with race and low income predicting higher suspension rates, and increased difficulty for daily activities and ability to pay for housing. The authors also […]