Lab

Reducing Pretrial Incarceration with Open-Source Technology

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Every day American jails hold half a million people who have not been convicted of a crime, creating social and economic hardships for individuals who might be held for months awaiting court dates and costing local governments $13.6 billion each year.

A research team at the Computational Policy Lab (CPL) led by Sharad Goel is working with the Santa Clara County Office of the Public Defender and The Bail Project to create and implement an open-source app that improves the likelihood that people will show up to court dates, including sending reminders and arranging transportation. The CPL is an interdisciplinary team of academic researchers, data scientists, and journalists who combine the power of rigorous statistical analysis with rich visual narratives to drive social impact.

The idea is that by increasing the number of people who make court dates, judges will be less likely to issue warrants for arrest, deny bail, or set bail higher than people can afford. “Through these platforms, our research will directly improve pretrial outcomes for thousands of individuals across the country every year,” Goel said.

Partners: Computational Policy LabSanta Clara County Office of the Public DefenderThe Bail Project

Principal Investigator: Sharad Goel 

Co-Principal Investigators: Guillaume Basse, Management Science & Engineering, Statistics; Emma Brunskill, Computer Science

Research Team: Sophie Allen, Sociology, Law School; Alex Chohlas-Wood, Management Science & Engineering; Madison Coots, Management Science & Engineering; Amelia Goodman, Computational Policy Lab; Joe Nudell, Management Science & Engineering; Sabina Tomkins, Management Science & Engineering