Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Social Development and Media Communication (SDMC 2021)

Algorithms Have Built Racial Bias in Legal System-Accept or Not?

Authors
Junkai Zhang1, *, Yuxuan Han1
1Qingdao NO.58 high school, Shandong, China
1University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, M1C 1A4
*Corresponding author. Email: zhangjunkaiwill@126.com
Corresponding Author
Junkai Zhang
Available Online 17 January 2022.
DOI
10.2991/assehr.k.220105.224How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Algorithm; COMPAS; LSI-R; Racial Bias
Abstract

Algorithms have been applied in various fields and increased efficiency in most workplaces. Correctional offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS) and Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) are the two algorithms that are used to do risk assessment in the legal system. However, both algorithms (COMPAS and LSI-R) have built-in racial bias, and the risk scores (the result of algorithms) are affected by racial bias, which finally affects judges’ decisions because risk score is a factor that can influence defendants’ sentencing and bail. This paper describes the mechanism of COMPAS and LSI-R, analyses the reasons why algorithms have built-in racial bias: developer embed their inherent racial bias into the algorithm, and many static factors that are included into consideration in algorithms can lead to racial bias; why built-in racial bias that appears from algorithm in the legal system is not acceptable; and the four methods of eliminating the racial bias in algorithms and make sure the algorithms are impartial with high efficiency.

Copyright
© 2022 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL.
Open Access
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Social Development and Media Communication (SDMC 2021)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
17 January 2022
ISBN
978-94-6239-512-1
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/assehr.k.220105.224How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2022 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL.
Open Access
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license.

Cite this article

TY  - CONF
AU  - Junkai Zhang
AU  - Yuxuan Han
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/01/17
TI  - Algorithms Have Built Racial Bias in Legal System-Accept or Not?
BT  - Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Social Development and Media Communication (SDMC 2021)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1217
EP  - 1221
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220105.224
DO  - 10.2991/assehr.k.220105.224
ID  - Zhang2022
ER  -