Hannah Sassaman

But instead of actually predicting and reducing crime and violence, these algorithms promote systems of over-policing and mass incarceration, perpetuating racism and increasing tensions between police and communities. Designers claim that predictive policing can save money through 'smart' targeting of police resources, but algorithms meant to foresee where crime will occur only justified massive and often violent deployment to neighborhoods already suffering from poverty and disinvestment. Ultimately, these algorithms didn’t reduce the money taxpayers spend on the cops. These promising signs underscore the importance of breaking with algorithmic decision­making, whether through 'predictive policing' or other algorithms used in the criminal legal system. As our local governments return to even emptier coffers and major municipal budget pressures, we should quickly abolish these models across all criminal legal system contexts. We have a narrow window to ban this form of 'e-carceration' and to keep new tech out of the hands of police, instead of following the path the country took after the last economic crash. (2020) source Unverified