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The Conversation USA

We use big data to sentence criminals. But can the algorithms really tell us what we need to know?

  • Written by Melissa Hamilton, Visiting Criminal Law Scholar, University of Houston Law Center, University of Houston
imageUse of data-driven risk assessments in sentencing may be heard by the Supreme Court.Karen Neoh/flickr, CC BY

In 2013, a man named Eric L. Loomis was sentenced for eluding police and driving a car without the owner’s consent.

When the judge weighed Loomis’ sentence, he considered an array of evidence, including the results of an...

Read more: We use big data to sentence criminals. But can the algorithms really tell us what we need to know?

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