The United States currently ranks first in the world for the rate of incarcerated individuals with an estimated 2.1 million people currently in prisons and jails across the nation. For reference, the Census Bureau estimates the U.S. population as third in the world at just under 333 million people. Home of the brave but for many, not a land of the free. These grim statistics are reflective of a flawed criminal justice system and the judicial process is a huge part of the problem— the consequences are particularly distressing for Black defendants and other marginalized groups. Mistakes in judgment lead to costly litigation, unwarranted incarceration and, in too many instances, the loss of an innocent defendant’s life.
Read more about the The Dubious Nature of “Race Blind” Predictive Algorithms in the Courtroom