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Archive: December 2021

Update on North Carolina Budget, COVID Prison Conditions

December 30, 2021

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 … Continue Reading →

Viral Injustice: COVID-19 is Disproportionately Impacting Incarcerated Population

April 20, 2021

By Annie Han

The COVID-19 Pandemic has disproportionately impacted people incarcerated in the US with 28% of the current incarcerated population testing positive for the virus compared to 9% of the general population. These outbreaks in prisons present serious health … Continue Reading →

COVID Settlement Means NC Will Release 3,500 Incarcerated People Early

March 26, 2021

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 … Continue Reading →

Durham DA Highlights 2020 Successes, Partnerships in Annual Report

March 19, 2021

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, … Continue Reading →

Organizations to US Attorney: Reduce Prison Population to Minimize COVID Risks

March 17, 2021

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 … Continue Reading →

Wilson Center Executive Director Appointed Special Master in NC COVID Litigation

December 4, 2020

Wilson Center Executive Director Thomas Maher has been appointed special master in the North Carolina litigation over the state prison system’s handling of COVID-19.

NAACP v. Cooper was filed earlier this year on behalf of several civil rights organizations, including … Continue Reading →

Federal Compassionate Release Opinion Cites Wilson Center Research on Risk Assessment

November 6, 2020

A U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan cited research from the Wilson Center for Science and Justice in an order this week granting an incarcerated man compassionate release.

Desmond Reginal Rodgers was serving 200 months in prison … Continue Reading →

Friday: Expert Panelists to Discuss COVID-19 Spread in Jails, Prisons

October 12, 2020

Join Duke Science & Society and our panel of experts in a discussion of how COVID-19 has spread through jails and prisons, how that is affecting not only inmates but also surrounding communities, what corrections officials are – and are … Continue Reading →

What Prisons Could Still Do to Save Lives

September 18, 2020

By Deniz Ariturk

Six months after the first nationwide shutdown, US prisons and jails continue to be top COVID hot spots. Case numbers have continued to increase rapidly in prisons even as they plateaued nationwide in early summer, and new … Continue Reading →

CSJ’s Dr. Marvin Swartz Discusses Police Misconduct, Reform in New Guest Post

August 20, 2020

Dr. Marvin Swartz brought some needed attention on a form of police misconduct that’s remained mostly out of the spotlight in a new guest post on NC Policy Watch.

The post, titled, “Concerns about police misconduct should spur reform, funding … Continue Reading →

Upcoming Duke Science & Society Event will Address Racial Bias in Healthcare, COVID-19

August 17, 2020

The Duke Center for Science and Justice is cohosting an upcoming  Duke Science & Society event as part of its Coronavirus Conversations series.

The virtual event is titled “Racial Bias in the Healthcare System and COVID Outcomes” and will start … Continue Reading →

Indy Week Publishes Powerful Letter to Cooper About COVID-19 in Prisons After Faye Brown’s Death

July 22, 2020

Ninety-eight people who are incarcerated in a federal prison in this country have died from COVID-19 in the past four months, and North Carolina is bearing the brunt of those losses with 25 deaths out of the Butner Federal Correctional … Continue Reading →