Transparency, Governance and Regulation of Algorithmic Tools Deployed in the Criminal Justice System: a UK Case Study

TL;DR

This paper surveys UK criminal justice tools, highlighting transparency and governance issues, and calls for improved documentation, stakeholder engagement, and policy measures to ensure ethical deployment.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of deployed tools, identifies transparency gaps, and proposes concrete policy recommendations for better governance and ethical use.

Findings

Many tools are in use with potential benefits.

Transparency and documentation are often insufficient.

Governance mechanisms need strengthening.

Abstract

We present a survey of tools used in the criminal justice system in the UK in three categories: data infrastructure, data analysis, and risk prediction. Many tools are currently in deployment, offering potential benefits, including improved efficiency and consistency. However, there are also important concerns. Transparent information about these tools, their purpose, how they are used, and by whom is difficult to obtain. Even when information is available, it is often insufficient to enable a satisfactory evaluation. More work is needed to establish governance mechanisms to ensure that tools are deployed in a transparent, safe and ethical way. We call for more engagement with stakeholders and greater documentation of the intended goal of a tool, how it will achieve this goal compared to other options, and how it will be monitored in deployment. We highlight additional points to consider when evaluating the trustworthiness of deployed tools and make concrete proposals for policy.