Satana Deberry
Panel discusses the trauma of prison, and the challenges to adjusting to life outside its gates
Of all the things he hadn’t seen in the last 14 years, Tyrone Baker most wanted to see the night sky. He wanted to gaze at the stars without being told he needed to get back in his cell. But if the vast expanse of the darkness above proved comforting, the low ceilings in his […]
Voices that matter 2022: The year in stories of the marginalized and underrepresented
Policy Watch’s tagline is “Stories and Voices that Matter,” emphasizing our mission to bring you stories you don’t see elsewhere and to amplify the voices of those who might otherwise go unheard. This year, we pursued that mission with a series of stories highlighting some of those voices, including...
Criminal justice leaders tout the benefits of ‘restorative justice’ at NCCU forum
Durham police chief, sheriff, and D.A. agree that county's practices and experience can be a model for systemic reform Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews teared up as she sat in a close circle of people in the Great Hall of North Carolina Central University’s Law School.
Poverty, gun accessibility looms large in congressional effort to reimagine public safety in the COVID era
North Carolina has experienced “a perfect storm of challenges” over the past two years of the pandemic. Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry told members of a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee Tuesday that rising poverty and increased access to firearms has led to a devastating rise in violence. “Increases in poverty are closely linked to […]
Durham District Attorney Satana DeBerry discusses improving public safety, gun violence and restorative justice
Learn more in the District Attorney’s annual report.
Join us March 10 for an online Crucial Conversation: Race, mass incarceration and criminal justice reform in NC
Join us Wednesday, March 10 at 3:30 p.m. for a very special (and virtual) Crucial Conversation: Satana Deberry and Dawn Blagrove: A conversation about race, mass incarceration and criminal justice reform in North Carolina Click here to register. By all indications, North Carolina and the nation at-large have entered a critical and, perhaps, hopeful phase […]
After a pandemic pause, jury trials are back. The assurance of a “jury of peers,” however, may be missing.
Plus: A guide for what to expect from a jury summons now After state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby let a statewide pause to most in-person court proceedings expire, some jurisdictions are pressing ahead with jury trials.
Fewer people incarcerated in NC’s county jails during the pandemic, but the ones left are staying longer
Backlogged court system and delayed trials create social justice inequities during COVID-19
While the number of people in county jails has dropped because of the pandemic, some incarcerated people in North Carolina are staying locked up longer, a study monitoring these populations shows.
This weekend: Greensboro Event explores impact of court fines and fees
This weekend the The North Carolina Fines and Fees Coalition and the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program are holding an event in Greensboro examining the impact of court fines, fees and criminal justice debt in North Carolina. The event begins Friday at 11 a.m. and will be held at the main banquet hall at Bennett College Global Learning […]
Annual report documents continuing progressive changes in Durham DA’s office
Last year Policy Watch reported on Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry’s progressive overhaul of that office’s policies, including the choice not to seek bail in most cases. The changes seemed to make a very real difference even at the six-month mark. But as the first month of 2019 comes to a close, Deberry’s office has […]
Durham DA to speak at Black August in the Park’s BOND*ference event
Last week NC Policy Watch spoke with Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry about the progressive changes she’s brought to her office and the results she’s already seen in the first six months. This week, Deberry will be the guest for the At The Intersection podcast event as part of Durham’s fifth annual Black August in […]