In the United States, computers help decide who goes to jail
Every day, judges across the United States face harrowing decisions: How many years should they give the bipolar woman convicted of murder? Should they jail the young—possibly innocent—man awaiting trial, or release him on bail, where he could commit a crime? Facing overflowing dockets, courts are increasingly using computer-based tools to help make those choices. Now, a new study suggests that one widely used tool—an algorithm that calculates “risk scores” for defendants in sentencing or bail hearings—is no better than people armed with a few key pieces of information.
