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CCJ panel urges policymakers to use its framework to ensure AI systems are deployed safely, ethically, and effectively
WASHINGTON – With artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities advancing at a rapid pace, the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) Task Force on Artificial Intelligence today released a framework to help policymakers, practitioners, and technologists deploy AI systems safely, ethically, and effectively in the criminal justice system.
The framework outlines five key principles to guide the responsible integration of AI across law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Warning that the misuse of AI in criminal justice could cause lasting harm to individuals and communities, the Task Force said AI systems deployed in the field must be:
- Safe and Reliable: AI systems must be thoroughly tested, monitored, and managed to prevent errors that could jeopardize liberty or safety.
- Confidential and Secure: Robust safeguards are essential to ensure systems protect sensitive personal data from misuse, preserve privacy, and operate transparently.
- Effective and Helpful: Tools should be rigorously evaluated and adopted only when they demonstrably improve outcomes or efficiency.
- Fair and Just: Systems must be regularly assessed for bias and designed to promote fairness.
- Democratic and Accountable: Decision-making must remain transparent and under meaningful human and democratic control.
“AI has the power to make the justice system more efficient, fair, and effective, but also to cause significant harm if misused,” said Task Force Chair Nathan Hecht, former chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court. “These principles are designed to ensure that AI can enhance both public safety and justice, without undermining constitutional rights or public trust.”
AI tools for use in criminal justice are already being deployed across the system, and range from automated warrant checks and case management tools to facial recognition and predictive policing. When used wisely, these technologies can enhance safety and justice by reducing human error, improving resource allocation, and enabling more data-driven decisions.
But the Task Force cautions that without clear guardrails, AI systems can amplify biases, threaten due process, and erode democratic accountability. Their complexity and scale can make it difficult to detect errors or bias, and small mistakes can have lasting consequences for individuals and communities.
Tradeoffs are fundamental features of the criminal justice system, and AI deployments are no different. But certain principles, such as due process, human dignity, and equal protection, can never be sacrificed, regardless of potential benefits, the Task Force said.
“These principles provide a framework for making deliberate, transparent decisions that balance competing interests in ways that strengthen public safety, protect individual rights, and build confidence in the integrity of the justice system,” said Task Force Director Jesse Rothman.
In the coming year, the Task Force will release additional reports focused on standards for AI tools in the criminal justice system, best practices for implementing those standards, and more.
Joining Hecht on the panel are 14 other leaders, including AI technology developers and researchers, police executives and other criminal justice practitioners, civil rights advocates, community leaders, and formerly incarcerated people. The group’s work is supported by researchers at RAND, a leading research organization with extensive expertise in criminal justice and emerging technologies.
Support for the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence comes from the Heising-Simons Foundation, The Just Trust, Microsoft, Southern Company Foundation, and The Tow Foundation, as well as the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and other CCJ general operating contributors.
About the Council on Criminal Justice
The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) is a nonpartisan think tank and invitational membership organization that advances understanding of the criminal justice policy choices facing the nation and builds consensus for solutions that enhance safety and justice for all.
