“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 […]
Tag: Law Enforcement
New Article Explores Police Officer Barriers to Mental Health
Wilson Center Postdoc Dr. Meret Hofer co-wrote an article identifying police officers’ treatment seeking barriers in order to outline a multi-pronged strategy for improving the accessibility of mental health services for police. The paper, “There Was No Plan in Place to Get Us Help”: Strategies for Improving Mental Health Service Utilization Among Law Enforcement — co-written […]
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Focuses on Services and Treatment Over Arrest
By De’Ja Wood Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) is a community-based diversion program with the goal of reimagining public safety by decriminalizing drug abuse. Within LEAD, officers reduce unnecessary justice involvement for those struggling with substance use by connecting people who use drugs to services and treatment that prioritize their health and wellbeing. On Thursday, […]
Research Seeks to Assess How Eyewitness ID Speed is Interpreted Regarding Accuracy
By Ruthie Kesri Criminal justice is front and center this election season. Politicians across the country are increasingly aware of the need for reforms addressing the high risk of wrongful conviction within this system. “Eyewitness Identification Speed: Slow Identifications from Highly Confident Eyewitnesses Hurt Perceptions of Their Testimony,” is a paper authored by Chad S. […]
The Key to Public Safety? Time, and Officers Need More of It
By Brandon Garrett I recently spoke to Washington state legislators about the proposed HB 1310, a bill introduced in January that concerns permissible uses of force by law enforcement and correctional officers. I explained, in brief remarks, that it has long been a pressing national issue that far too many people are killed in encounters […]
Duke Professor Co-Authors Washington Post Opinion Piece About ‘Broken’ Policing System
John Rappaport and Ben Grunwald are no strangers to writing about flaws in the American policing system – you may recognize their bylines from their research last year about wandering officers, a coin they termed for police officers who were fired by one department, often for something serious, but who later found work in another […]
A Deeper Dive into the Recent Racial Equity Task Force Recommendations
By Annie Han In December, North Carolina’s Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice (TREC) released 125 recommendations that encompass all aspects of the criminal justice system, starting with police contact, then the courts, and sentencing. “North Carolina can reimagine public safety to provide accountability for victims and safety for communities without the grotesque […]
Student Post: Policing Term ‘Excited Delirium’ Should Not Justify Risky Ketamine Use
By De’Ja Wood This summer, the murder of George Floyd seized national attention and sparked protests and discourse about police violence across the country. The ongoing discussion about police brutality led to an online petition calling for Colorado government agencies to reopen the investigation in the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year old Black man […]
Wandering Officer Research Could Create More Transparency in Police Hiring
By Sydney Gaviser In light of high-profile police uses of force and subsequent protests this summer, police officers have been scrutinized more than ever. While some of the conversation has related to rules for police use of force and how police are funded, or defunded, another focus has been on how police officers are hired, […]
Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice Makes Recommendations; Will Hear Public Comment
The North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice adopted three new recommendations Friday, including a duty to intervene and report for law enforcement officers, a prohibition of neck holds for law enforcement officers, and a North Carolina Supreme Court requirement of an assessment of ability to pay before levying fines and fees. […]