Technology
Algorithmic Bias in Criminal Justice Risk Assessment Tools
Quick fact
A 2016 ProPublica investigation found that COMPAS, a widely used risk assessment tool, falsely flags Black defendants as high-risk for reoffending almost twice as often as white defendants, while white defendants are more often mislabeled as low-risk.
Why this is interesting
Imagine a computer program helping a judge decide whether someone goes to jail before trial—and that program judging people differently because of their race. How can a machine, built on numbers, become biased?