Council Launches National Task Force to Guide Integration and Oversight of AI in Criminal Justice

WASHINGTON – The nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), in partnership with RAND, today announced the launch of a national task force to develop standards and evidence-based recommendations for the integration and oversight of artificial intelligence (AI) in the criminal justice system.

Chaired by former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence includes 14 other leaders, from AI technology developers and researchers to police executives and other criminal justice practitioners, civil rights advocates, community leaders, and formerly incarcerated people. (See list of members below.)

The work of the Task Force will span the four major sectors of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, corrections, and community organizations. Over the next 18 months, the group will:

• Develop consensus principles to guide the safe, ethical, and effective use of AI in criminal justice settings;
• Translate the principles into specific, operationalized standards for AI products and procurement that can be used by agency leaders, policymakers, and community groups alike; and
• Publish high-quality, accessible research for policymakers, agencies and organizations, key individuals, and the field at large.

“Artificial intelligence is developing at breakneck speed, delivering technological advancements unlike any we have seen before, and presenting both significant opportunities and formidable challenges for the criminal justice system,” Hecht said. “This Task Force will meet the urgent need for credible guidance to help policymakers and practitioners navigate a complex and rapidly evolving landscape in ways that maximize benefits, minimize harms, and improve justice.”

The group’s work will be supported by Task Force Director Jesse Rothman—who has worked as a researcher, educator, policy analyst, and funder across the criminal justice and emerging technology landscape—as well as researchers at RAND, a leading research organization with extensive expertise in criminal justice and emerging technologies. RAND will conduct original research on the safe, ethical, and effective integration of AI into criminal justice agencies and processes.

“AI brings powerful tools to affect public safety and efficiency in the criminal justice system,” said Jason Matheny, RAND’s president and chief executive officer. “RAND’s strength is in objective research and rigorous analysis—and that’s how we’ll contribute most, by ensuring that policymakers at all levels have clear, informed guidance.”

CCJ President & CEO Adam Gelb emphasized that now is the time to act.

“AI technologies will inevitably become—and in many cases, already are—embedded in myriad criminal justice agencies and processes, and that’s happening too often haphazardly and without caution or clear goals,” he said. “This Task Force brings together people with the experience and passion needed to help ensure AI integration proceeds in a careful, consistent, and beneficial way.”

In June 2024, in partnership with the Stanford Criminal Justice Center at the Stanford University School of Law, CCJ convened a diverse group of leading experts and stakeholders to discuss AI’s implications for criminal justice. The meeting yielded insights on the current state of AI adoption, opportunities and risks, and key areas for policy development. It also revealed a clear desire across the field for reliable information, evidence, and guidance on the topic.

CCJ prepared a comprehensive report summarizing the convening’s key takeaways, such as the importance of values-driven technology adoption, the need for a deeper understanding of AI tools’ functionalities and limitations, and the critical role of public input in AI implementation decisions. The core criteria outlined in the report will help guide the Task Force in establishing its principles.

Over the past few years, policymakers across the country have begun taking legislative action to regulate AI. Over the past several months, a bipartisan group of state legislators spoke with CCJ to share their concerns and insights as they navigate the adoption of this emerging technology.

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.

The Task Force members are:

• Nathan Hecht (Chair) – Former Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court
• Ian T. Adams – Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina
• Rose Afriyie – Founder, Afriyie Research and Development; Co-Founder and Board President, mRelief
• Armando Aguilar – Assistant Chief, Miami Police Department
• Roy L. Austin – Former Vice President of Civil Rights, Meta; Former Deputy Assistant, President Obama; Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, DOJ Civil Rights Division
• Chiraag Bains – Senior Fellow, Democracy Fund; Former Deputy Assistant, President Biden; Former Deputy Director, White House Domestic Policy Council
• Alex Chohlas-Wood – Assistant Professor of Computational Social Science, New York University
• Ed Chung – Vice President of Initiatives, Vera Institute of Justice
• Bree Derrick – Director, Idaho Department of Correction
• Herbert Dixon, Jr. – Senior Judge, Superior Court of the District of Columbia
• Lauren Johnson – Justice Director, Dream.org
• Walter Katz – Director of Policy, The Innocence Project
• Katie Kinsey – Chief of Staff, Policing Project, NYU School of Law
• Kristian Lum – Research Scientist, Google DeepMind
• Melissa Nelson – State Attorney, Fourth Judicial Circuit, Florida

About the Council on Criminal Justice

The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) is a nonpartisan invitational membership organization and think tank that advances understanding of the criminal justice policy challenges facing the nation and builds consensus for solutions that enhance safety and justice for all.

About RAND

RAND is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world healthier and more secure and prosperous. RAND’s research staff includes leading experts in criminal justice, technology policy, and artificial intelligence applications.