Pre-Crime: The Dangers Of 'Risk Assessments' In Law Enforcement.pdf

Pre-crime and the Danger of Risk Assessments

Pre-crime, a concept from the science fiction novel and movie Minority Report, has become a reality in the form of risk assessments, a data-driven, computer-based method of profiling. This approach, used to identify and eliminate potential criminals before they commit a crime, has been employed by law enforcement agencies for decades. However, the consequences of this method are dire, as it serves as a proxy for race and perpetuates an unjust system.

Risk assessments are developed using value-laden social data, including information from police and court records, neighborhood, family history, income, and educational levels. This information creates a one-sided narrative that fails to account for the root causes of crime, such as poverty, lack of education, and racism. The purpose of risk assessments is to satisfy the public's need to feel safe, but they eviscerate constitutional protections and undermine the presumption of innocence.

Pennsylvania is one of the few states using risk assessments for sentencing purposes, with judges imposing sentences without public discussion. The City of Philadelphia has also announced plans to use risk assessments to make bail determinations. This model of pre-designation discards 40 years of sociological research that uncovered the root causes of street crime and is an ideologically driven tool that undermines equal protection and due process.

The use of risk assessments is not a form of criminal justice reform, but rather a re-packaged model based on the same old racist and classist assumptions. This approach is formulated by computer models destined to reinforce the same features that create an unjust system.