JT/DL: Does Justice Tech Work? 🤷
The American Bar Foundation paper “A Research Agenda for Justice Technology” finds that despite billions of dollars poured into digital tools—from AI legal assistants to online dispute resolution—there is scant rigorous evidence that they improve outcomes for people in the justice gap. The research highlights three core problems: undefined success metrics, neglect of the broader enabling environment, and vendor lock‑in that stifles competition. It calls for an applied research agenda that includes independent audits, post‑mortem analyses, and cross‑disciplinary expertise to build a solid evidence base. The paper urges funders and policymakers to move beyond the “1,000 flowers blooming” mindset toward measurable, people‑centered impact.
JT/DL: Justice AI Regs; FBI Gets Encrypted Texts
The latest JT/DL newsletter highlights a surge in AI oversight for criminal justice, with Brookings urging state regulation and Florida launching a criminal probe into OpenAI after its chatbot was linked to a campus shooting. A new Colorado bill targets...
JT/DL: Leaving the Bardo
Jason Warner announced he will leave the JT/DL "bardo" to become the National Center for State Courts’ director for technology, data, and knowledge management starting in May. The new role places him at the helm of modernizing state court infrastructure,...
JT/DL: AI-Fueled Lawsuits; Police & Self-Surveillance
Recent justice‑technology news highlights a surge of AI‑related legal mishaps, from an Oregon attorney fined for citing AI‑generated case law to a wave of AI‑driven lawsuits cluttering courts. The FBI’s admission of purchasing Americans’ location data and a 93 GB breach...
JT/DL: Court Innovation Is Middleware
The article argues that court case management systems (CMS) are the bottleneck preventing courts from leveraging their massive data streams, citing an Oklahoma pilot where a simple middleware layer cut jail time for low‑level defendants. It explains that most CMS...
JT/DL: ICE's Surveillance State; the Doorbell Cam Problem; Tracking Court AI
In this episode, the hosts examine ICE’s expanding surveillance apparatus, highlighting recent reports of AI-driven errors, school‑camera collaborations, and the revocation of a Global Entry after facial‑scan detection. They also discuss the broader privacy concerns surrounding doorbell cameras and Iran’s...