The United States of Risk Assessment: The Machines Influencing Criminal Justice Decisions
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The United States of Risk Assessment: The Machines Influencing Criminal Justice Decisions

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July 13, 2020 | Analysis

The United States of Risk Assessment: The Machines Influencing Criminal Justice Decisions

In every state, assessment tools help courts decide certain cases or correctional officers determine the supervision and programming an offender receives. But the tools each state uses varies widely, and how they're put into practice varies even more.
11 minute read
July 20, 2020 | Analysis

Constitutional Brawl Looms Over How Risk Assessment Tools Account for Gender

Researchers say that scoring men and women differently is essential to account for risk assessment tools' inherent gender bias. But it's an open question whether these adjustments are violating state or constitutional law.
5 minute read
July 13, 2020

The Most Widely Used Risk Assessment Tool in Each U.S State

Tools that have the broadest impact and deployment are ones that look at recidivism pretrial risk in adult populations. Here's a look the specific tools in use in each state, and the criminal justice decision points they influence.
1 minute read
July 13, 2020

The Long, And Short, Evolution of Assessment Tools

While Risk and Needs Assessment (RNA) tools developed over four distinct generations, pretrial risk assessment tools are much newer.
1 minute read
July 14, 2020 | Analysis

States vs. Vendors: Are Some Risk Assessment Tools Better Than Others?

While some states would never consider a risk assessment tool created by third party, others say developing their own proprietary instruments is unnecessary and, given the resources required, unrealistic. Researchers are split on if state, vendor distinction even matters.
12 minute read
July 15, 2020 | Analysis

Same Score, Different Impact: States Can Decide Who Assessment Tech Deems 'High Risk'

Implemented in different jurisdictions, the same risk assessment tool can yield vastly different results. While a part of that is by design, some of it also comes down to a jurisdiction's preferences and tolerance for error.
11 minute read
July 15, 2020

Who Validates States' Risk Assessment Tools? Here's a Look

States need to validate their risk assessment tool to ensure they accurately predict criminal justice outcomes in their jurisdiction. While some states will undertake validations themselves, others will turn to independent researchers, private and nonprofit organizations or universities.
1 minute read
July 15, 2020 | Analysis

The People Problem: How States Try to Limit Risk Assessment Inaccuracies, Misusage

Despite some assessment tools' sophistication, none can operate without some level of manual data collection, interpretation and input. How states ensure that is done accurately by court and correctional officials, however, often depends on a tool's complexity and the jurisdiction's preferences.
10 minute read
July 16, 2020 | Analysis

Judges May Be Using Risk Assessments Too Much—and Too Little

While some judges will often disregard risk assessment tools entirely, others are using these scores in ways they were not originally intended. The former has spurred questions over whether these tools really change anything, while the latter has fueled a host of legal challenges.
9 minute read
July 17, 2020 | Analysis

Risk Assessment Tools Aren't Immune From Systemic Bias. So Why Use Them?

Opponents of these risk assessment instruments say they're just making a bad situation worse. But proponents see them as a better way to address bias in the criminal justice system head on. So where do we go from here?
12 minute read