S2E1: Behind the Data: Mental Health and the Justice System in Durham County

Faculty team Maria Tackett and Nicole Schramm-Sapyta's seven-year project is transforming our understanding and responses to the needs of people navigating Durham’s criminal justice and healthcare systems. Working with student researchers and in collaboration with the Durham County Detention Facility, Justice Services Center, and Duke Health, they’ve compiled one of the most comprehensive datasets of its kind, covering over 23,000 individuals with mental health diagnoses who were locally incarcerated between 2014 and 2023. This year, the project has expanded to include personal interviews and focus groups centering the voices of those who have experienced incarceration while managing mental illness or substance use disorders. The goal? Better interventions, support for smart policy decisions, and stronger partnership between health and criminal justice systems in Durham and beyond. 

 

Episode Credits

Senior Editor and Producer: Cara August, Trinity Communications 

Audio Editor and Mixer: Marc Maximov 

Music Composition: André Mego, T’20 | MMS ‘21 

Production Sponsor: Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, Duke University 

Recording Date and Location: April 2025, Bryan Center Studios