The Present And Future Of AI In Pre-Trial Risk Assessment Instruments

The success of AI technology is likely to inspire an increase in the availability of AI-based pre-trial risk assessment instruments in the coming years. This critical issue brief equips practitioners considering adopting an AI-based pre-trial risk assessment tool to consider relevant questions.
Joint Statement On Safely Releasing People From Jails Amid Covid-19 Crisis

Releasing people who pose little threat to their communities both benefits public health and allows people to stay with their jobs and families during these uncertain times.
$8.1 Million in SJC Grants to Advance Local Justice System Reform

New funding—part of $217M investment in 51 U.S. cities and counties—will support initiatives aimed at safely reducing jail population and reducing racial and ethnic disparities
Civil Rights and Pretrial Risk Assessment Instruments

Understanding Civil Rights Critiques of Pretrial Risk Assessment Tools May Help Stakeholders More Effectively Address the Crisis of Mass Incarceration.
Broken Ground

Why America Keeps Building New Jails and What It Can Do Instead

Rethinking Jails

The majority of people in jail are presumed innocent. Most are there for nonviolent offenses. Many are simply too poor to post bail, and are disproportionately people of color. Our overuse of jails carries significant costs—to individuals, families, communities, and society at large. We need solutions to start where incarceration starts: in our nation’s jails.

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The Overuse of Jails Hurts Our Communities

The primary purpose of jails is to detain those awaiting trial who are a danger to public safety or a flight risk. Jailing someone who is neither results in huge costs for families and communities—particularly communities of color—including lost income, parents separated from their children, untreated mental health and substance abuse problems, a greater risk of re-offending, and wasted taxpayer dollars.

ADMISSIONS

There are nearly 11 million jail admissions annually—equivalent to the populations of New York City and Chicago combined and almost 18 times the annual admissions to state and federal prisons.

CONVICTIONS

Three out of five people in jail are legally presumed innocent, awaiting trial or resolution through plea negotiations.

MENTAL ILLNESS

An estimated 14.5% of men and 31% of women admitted to jail have a serious mental illness—rates that are four to six times higher than in the general population.
OFFENSES

Nearly 75% of sentenced offenders and those detained in jail before trial are there for nonviolent traffic, property, drug, or public order offenses.

RACIAL DISPARITIES

Nationally, Black Americans are jailed at almost 4x the rate of white Americans.

COSTS

From 1982 to 2011, local spending on corrections—largely building and running jails—increased at least 235%, to $22.2 billion.

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Meet the Challenge Network

A total of 191 applications were submitted to the Challenge from jurisdictions spanning 45 states. Meet the 51 that were selected to participate in the Challenge Network.