Working with Penn colleagues in statistics and computer science, Richard Berk develops and deploys algorithms that assist in criminal justice decision-making. His computer software is used to help inform whether a prison inmate is released on parole and the kind of supervision provided to individuals on probation. He is currently working on projects regarding release decisions at arraignment and police handling of incidents of intimate-partner violence. In each application, the goal is to improve current practice. Nevertheless, these tools can be controversial because of errors and potential unfairness for the individuals affected. Are there tradeoffs between accurate forecasts of criminal behavior and fairness? And what about the consequences for potential crime victims? 

Expert faculty from the University of Pennsylvania shed light on their research at the Penn Science Café. It's an evening of engaging, stimulating conversation, with a Q&A session following each talk.