Publications

Wilson Center Faculty Director Brandon Garrett serves as independent monitor for the landmark federal bail reform settlement in Harris County, TX. This first report by the monitor team describes the first two years of work evaluating the implementation of the misdemeanor bail reforms in Harris County, Texas. (2022)

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 LSU-E. This worksheet aims to optimize information sequencing and promote transparency in forensic decisions. By: Adele Quigley-McBride, Itiel E. Dror, Tiffany Roy, Brandon L. Garrett, and Jeff Kukucka — Forensic Science International: Synergy (2022)

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. Swartz, M.D. — Psychiatric Services (2021)

North Carolina is our Exhibit A in what can go wrong when an entire state relies on fines and fees from low-level cases to generate revenue. A team of researchers from the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law released this report describing three studies examining fines, fees, and driver’s license suspensions in North Carolina. (2021)

This amicus brief was filed on behalf of several scholars and organizations, including Brandon Garrett and Yvette Garcia Missri at the Wilson Center and Gabe Berumen, J.D. Candidate, Class of 2023, Duke University School of Law, and the Idaho Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. It argues that the Board of Immigration Appeals erred in concluding that an individual drug substance is an element of the state’s criminal code.

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 offer policy recommendations including abolishing suspension, other incremental options, and restoration efforts. By William E. Crozier, Brandon L. Garrett, and Karima Modjadidi.

Wilson Center Faculty Director Brandon Garrett serves as independent monitor for the landmark federal bail reform settlement in Harris County, TX. This first report by the monitor team describes the first eighteen months of work evaluating the implementation of the misdemeanor bail reforms in Harris County, Texas. (2021)

This amicus brief filed on behalf of the Innocence Project and the Wilson Center argues that the bite mark evidence and testimony used in State v. Richardson lacked scientific foundation.

Wilson Center Faculty Director Brandon Garrett serves as independent monitor for the landmark federal bail reform settlement in Harris County, TX. This second report by the monitor team describes the first year of work evaluating the implementation of the misdemeanor bail reforms in Harris County, Texas. (2021)

What explains the puzzle of life without parole (LWOP) sentencing in the United States? In the past two decades, LWOP sentences have reached record highs, with over 50,000 prisoners serving LWOP. Yet during this same period, homicide rates have steadily declined. To shed light on what might explain the sudden rise of LWOP, this report examines characteristics of the more than 1,627 cases in which LWOP was imposed from 1995 to 2017, in North Carolina, one of the states that imposes the largest numbers of these sentences. By: Brandon L. Garrett, Travis M. Seale-Carlisle, Karima Modjadidi, and Kristen M. Renberg in North Carolina Law Review (2021)