Artificial intelligence is already impacting the criminal justice system, and its importance is increasing rapidly. From automated report writing to facial recognition technology, AI tools are already shaping decisions that affect liberty, safety, and trust. The question is not whether these technologies will be used, but how—and under what rules.

The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, in late October, released a framework designed to answer that question. The panel, which includes technologists, police executives, civil rights advocates, community leaders, and formerly incarcerated people, is urging policymakers to adopt five guiding principles to ensure AI is deployed safely, ethically, and effectively.

The principles are straightforward, but critically important:

Safe and reliable: Systems must be tested, monitored, and managed to prevent errors that could jeopardize liberty or safety.

Confidential and secure: AI must protect sensitive personal data, preserve privacy, and operate transparently.

Effective and helpful: Tools should only be adopted when they demonstrably improve outcomes or efficiency.

Fair and just: Bias must be identified and mitigated, with systems designed to promote fairness.

Democratic and accountable: Decision-making must remain transparent and under meaningful human and democratic control.

Nathan Hecht, former chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court and chair of the Task Force, put it plainly: “AI has the power to make the justice system more efficient, fair, and effective, but also to cause significant harm if misused.”

That tension is at the heart of the debate. AI can reduce human error, improve resource allocation, and enable more data-driven decisions. But without guardrails, it can just as easily calcify sub-optimal practices, threaten due process, and erode democratic accountability. The very scale and complexity of these systems make errors harder to detect, and small mistakes can have lasting consequences for individuals and communities.

The Task Force reminds us that tradeoffs are inherent in criminal justice. Yet certain principles—due process, human dignity, equal protection—are non-negotiable. No efficiency gain can justify sacrificing them.

”These principles provide a framework for making deliberate, transparent decisions that balance competing interests in ways that strengthen public safety, protect individual rights, and build confidence in the integrity of the justice system.”

The group, supported by RAND researchers and funded by a coalition of foundations, plans to release further reports in the coming year on standards and best practices for AI in criminal justice. Our work is not just technical. We are tasked with engaging with the core questions of democracy: How do we protect individual rights and communal well-being simultaneously? What kind of procedures deserve respect and trust? What can we collectively agree is fair? It asks us to decide what kind of justice system we want in an age of algorithms.

AI is not simply a tool; it is a force that can reshape power, accountability, and trust. If deployed wisely, it can strengthen justice. If misused, it can undermine it. The CCJ framework is a reminder that technology must serve people, and that in criminal justice, principles must always come before convenience.

As artificial intelligence accelerates across every corner of society, the criminal justice system cannot afford to lag behind. Without a clear and proven oversight framework, the risks of injustice, error, and erosion of constitutional rights will grow alongside the technology itself. Policymakers must act now to ensure that AI serves justice and safety simultaneously before the pace of innovation outstrips the guardrails of democracy.

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Jesse Rothman is director of the Council on Criminal Justice Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.

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