Using Big Data in the Justice System

Justice and Security Agencies are excited about the opportunities that data analysis is creating in the field of investigation, persecution and crime prevention. At federal government and at municipal level the institutions created departments that are rapidly growing to create sophisticated ways to fight corruption, money laundry, monopoly practices, illegal manipulations of prices, prevent crime and some are willing to create tools that will enable crime prediction.

All of this is possible thanks to data analysis and there is a big problem with that. It is not the fault of the analysis itself but the data. Data in the justice system is a reflection of itself, a system that give less opportunities to certain sector of the population, a system that is only able to punish the poor and the minorities, a system that has been proved unable to make the rich and powerful accountable for their crimes.

Using this data without considering this during the analysis is dangerous, it can generate algorithms that are going to reinforce discrimination and racism. By trying to prevent crime, this predictive tools would be attempting human rights.

Citizens need to be actively involved to understand what kind of algorithm are being used by the justice institutions to identify any potential discrimination created by this tools.

On the other side the tools created to stop political corruption, money laundry and monopoly practices (like raising price agreements or offer control) can make a big difference specially in developing countries.

All data scientists need to understand the impact of their work and the consequences in the society.

May all of us be emphatic and sensible enough to avoid repeating the mistakes we have done in the name of efficiency.