Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice
National research and policy hub at the University of Pennsylvania, created to correct errors and catalyze long-term structural improvements to the US criminal justice system. Visit law.upenn.edu/institutes/quattron…
- New reporting from the Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board reveals that California law enforcement is much more likely to use force on unhoused individuals when stopped. @sfchronicle.com reports on what this near 30-point discrepancy says about homelessness and crime in America:
- Fordham University (@fordham.edu) presents "The Law’s Blind Spots," a full-day program on February 13 (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.). Law and psychology experts will discuss improving the justice system by reducing outdated assumptions about human cognition and behavior. View agenda and register:
- Under a new law, Maryland counties are required to pay half of all wrongful conviction compensation payouts, creating added hurdles for exonerees seeking recompense for their time behind bars. New reporting from @thebaltimorebanner.com explores how:
- Author Rick Tulsky will discuss his book Injustice Town, detailing Lamonte McIntyre's wrongful conviction and Kansas City's failed justice system, at the Free Library of Philadelphia on February 9 at 6:00 p.m. ET. View details and register: libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/162147
- An important new report from @rand.org cites QC's Sentinel Event Review findings in establishing guidance for how protest organizers and law enforcement agencies can ensure that protests remain peaceful:
- Last week, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated The Alabama Solution for Best Documentary Feature! We were honored to host a screening of this film — chronicling the abuse and neglect taking place in Alabama's prisons — with Penn Law Toll Public Interest Center last November.
- Why are judges rejecting prosecutorial admissions of error in wrongful conviction cases? Dive into this tension with Quattrone Center Executive Director @tcita.bsky.social, Kelly Bauder, Lara A. Bazelon, and Sunny Eaton in this @americanbar.org webinar on Thursday, January 29:
- In a recent University of Colorado Law Review article, Seema Saifee, our former research fellow, explores how those most affected by mass criminalization and incarceration can uncover new approaches and solutions to systemic flaws in criminal law and policy. Learn more:
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- According to the Real Time Crime Index, 2025 brought the largest one-year drop in crime in American history. Experts found significant declines in homicides (20%), motor vehicle theft (23%), aggravated assault (8%), and more.
- Florida's law halted a state conviction integrity unit's review of Ronnie Ferrell's 1993 murder conviction, which relied on testimony from a witness known for lying under oath. Our senior advisor, John Hollway, commented on the process in @jaxtrib.org. Read more: tinyurl.com/4nd7dmep
- Just announced! The 2026 Spring Symposium will be from May 12-13 at @penncareylaw.bsky.social. Save the dates on your 📅 so you can join us for two incredible days of exploration and collaboration on the future of the criminal legal system.
- Rob and Michelle Reiner shared a deep friendship with Nanon Williams, a man spending life in prison for a murder he has always maintained he didn't commit. In the wake of their passing, Nanon shares with NBC News how the Reiners' support, love, and advocacy comforted him in his fight for freedom.
- A 2025 @gallup.com poll found that just 16% of Americans believe that our prison system successfully rehabilitates incarcerated people — nearly unchanged in the last 25 years. Americans also say prisons do a poor job of keeping incarcerated people safe while inside. news.gallup.com/poll/697472/...
- The National Association of Medical Examiners warns the "questionable" lung float test for live birth has "known pitfalls," especially after its use in criminal cases. Here’s why:
- In a moving @nytimes.com piece this week, Bryan Kohberger’s sister Mel discussed her family's experience after her brother was arrested for the murders of four college students in Idaho last year.
- When QC Senior Advisor John Hollway presented at the 2025 TedXPenn Conference last March, he discussed how sentinel event reviews allow a "blame-free" investigation into how an undesired outcome in the criminal legal system happened — creating a roadmap to prevent future ones.
- Public records reveal that the officer who killed Tamir Rice was recently hired by two police departments in West Virginia. Following Rice's death, former employers have labelled the officer unfit for law enforcement — pointing to his record of insubordination and poor handgun performance.
- I'm not great about tooting my own horn. But as an independent journalist whose work is reliant on contributions from my readers, it's part of the job. So here's a post and thread on my work over the last year and beyond -- and why you, reader, should subscribe. (Plus, shameless dog photos!)
- Applications for the Quattrone Center Fellowship at @penncareylaw.bsky.social are due this Wednesday! Don't miss this special opportunity to grow your career as a researcher and expert in criminal legal reform. Apply today: www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/q...
- Earlier this month, @hennepinatty.bsky.social released its conviction integrity unit dashboard — providing transparency into the agency's commitment to reviewing applications and acting on potential wrongful convictions.
- 20 years ago, Dr. Bruce Levy's "shaken baby" testimony was used in convicting Russell Maze of murdering his son. Last week, Levy sat with @nbcnews.com to discuss why new evidence leads him to believe Maze was innocent all along. QC Advisory Board Member Dan Slepian reports: tinyurl.com/2hp9z2fr
- What does Real Housewife Jen Shah's early release from prison have to do with criminal legal reform? QC Executive Director @tcita.bsky.social dives into the data showing that participation in prison education programs contributes to reduction in recidivism. #rhoslc
- We recently sat down with former Quattrone Center Fellows Amanda Bergold and Rachel Greenspan to discuss how the program forged their careers, and led to a career-long collaboration on groundbreaking criminal justice research. Read our interview today: tinyurl.com/4ratrxae
- More than a hundred drug cases were dismissed in Philadelphia last week after evidence showed that three police officers had given false testimony. Hundreds more convictions involving the officers are now under review:
- @radleybalko.bsky.social, Quattrone Center journalism fellow, hosts the investigative podcast Collateral Damage. Episode 5 details the 2010 killing of unarmed 21-year-old Trevon Cole during a Las Vegas no-knock raid. Hear more and subscribe: theintercept.com/podcasts/col...
- Our latest sentinel event review on the case of Eric Anderson uncovered 40 contributing factors to his wrongful conviction. We sat down with Quattrone Center’s Senior Advisor John Hollway to break down what this review means for agencies, communities, and the future of accountability.
- Clearance rates are seen as the best indicator of a police department's efficacy in public safety, but experts believe they don't show the whole picture. As state lawmakers nationwide draft legislation to boost these clearance rates, @stateline.org reports on how police departments plan to improve.
- Despite crime levels hitting historic lows, 39 states across the country increased their prison populations in 2023 — a stark reversal from 13 years of slow decarceration. @sentencingproject.bsky.social provides analysis into this new trend and recommendations for decarceration: tinyurl.com/2vt885kn
- Since 2015, we've conducted Sentinel Event Reviews to find solutions to some of the most unwanted outcomes in the criminal legal system: wrongful convictions, police use of force, forensic errors, & more. But what exactly are they? Our newest edition of Defining Justice has all the answers you need.
- We're intrigued to learn more about the potential for rapid video response in policing. Tune in online with Justice Clearinghouse for discussion of a randomized control trial of rapid video response, featuring: Dr. Renee J. Mitchell, Dr. Sherah Basham, and Stacey Rothwell.
- Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez spent 27 years wrongfully incarcerated on a life sentence due to eyewitness misidentification. In a recent episode of Legal Talk Network’s “For The Innocent” podcast, JJ discusses his journey to freedom, leadership, and activism. Listen now: tinyurl.com/2m2dnrpx
- Jimmie "Chris" Duncan walked free last week after 27 years on Louisiana's death row for a murder conviction based on unreliable bitemark evidence. innocenceproject.org/news/jimmie-...
- Former Quattrone Center Fellow @mathuclair.bsky.social shares how the fellowship supported the fieldwork for his book, expanded his network, and shaped his career. If you’re doing justice-focused research, he says: apply! Deadline: December 31 Learn more + apply: www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/q...
- A new report from @aclu.org highlights how wrongful death penalty convictions disproportionately affect people of color due to factors such as systemic racism, prosecutorial misconduct, and more. Read the full report: www.aclu.org/publications...
- More coverage of the Sentinel Event Review report we released last week seeking to understand how Eric Anderson was wrongfully convicted in Detroit and what reforms can prevent future injustice. Get the full story: tinyurl.com/4uydyz43 Source: CBS News Detroit
- A new report from @colorado.edu's Visual Evidence Lab highlights growing issues regarding video and its usage in court. With the rise of AI and unclear guidelines on how to present, store, and use video as evidence, 20 experts came together to provide recommendations on how to remedy these concerns:
- In a 6-1 decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court banned the use of shaken baby syndrome as a reason for unexplained head trauma, becoming the first state in the nation to do so. The majority decision stated that the biomechanical community does not generally accept the syndrome, justifying their ban.
- In our most recent sentinel event review, a cross-functional team found 40 factors contributed to the #wrongfulconviction of Eric Anderson, who spent 9 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Read the full story: tinyurl.com/2eehjs78
- We would like to congratulate Calvin Duncan for winning the race for New Orleans' next clerk of the criminal court! Duncan spent 28 years incarcerated for a 1981 murder he didn't commit, graduating from law school, founding the Light of Justice program, and releasing his memoir post-exoneration.
- QC Senior Advisor John Hollway spoke at a press event headed by Wayne County's Prosecutor's Office — releasing our newest report investigating the wrongful conviction of Eric Anderson. "The process is not about blame," he noted. "It is about building a safer and more reliable justice system."
- Eric Anderson spent nine years in a Michigan prison for a crime he didn't commit. Today, we're releasing a new report — summarizing our recent sentinel event review — aiming to understand this miscarriage of justice and how we can prevent others like it. 🔗 www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/1...
- BREAKING: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has commuted the death row sentence of Tremane Wood to life in prison without parole. Wood received a clemency recommendation from the state pardon and parole board last week, noting that Wood did not commit the murder for which he was convicted in 2002.
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- SF's public defenders are overwhelmed by their caseload, as leaders announce they're "ethically bound to refuse new appointments when caseloads make it impossible to provide competent, diligent representation to existing clients." The system of private contract attorneys is also at a breaking point:
- We're honoring the service of all veterans today, and we're grateful to our friends at the Death Penalty Information Center for this new report — the first-ever comprehensive account of veterans sentenced to death in the United States. deathpenaltyinfo.org/research/ana...
- The Philadelphia Police Department is solving cases at its fastest pace in 40 years, thanks to new technology and a years-long decrease in violent crime. @inquirer.com covers how they've made these accomplishments while striving for even higher clearance rates, less misconduct, and more:
