Data ethics in policing contexts: Caroline Miles scholarship at Ethox

Hope Kent, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Exeter, and Caroline Miles Scholar, Ethox Centre

As a Caroline Miles scholar, I had the opportunity to spend a month immersed in the vibrant intellectual community at Ethox. My time there was thoroughly enriching, and I was able to engage in thought-provoking discussions and meaningful collaborations which have enhanced my research significantly.

During my stay, I worked on a project about the ethics of using actuarial risk assessment tools in policing contexts. Actuarial risk assessment tools are used to inform decisions ranging from pre-trial release to resource allocation. These decisions are weighty, as they often must balance the needs and rights of individuals against the need to ensure public safety. Actuarial tools offer potential for more accurate, evidence-based decision making, which would enable resource to be distributed where it is needed most. This offers a potential improvement to unassisted human decision making in the criminal justice system.

However, tools are often developed rapidly, by a variety of stakeholders including academics, software developers, or police and criminal justice agencies. Estimates indicate there are more than 400 actuarial tools designed for risk assessment in the criminal justice system, which vary massively in quality. Ethical decisions are ‘baked in’ when designing these tools – for example developers must decide on acceptable rates of false positives and false negatives. The nuances of these decisions are often opaque to decision makers. When tools are inaccurate and poorly calibrated, they can lead to harm, and systematically make decisions that disadvantage groups who are already over-represented in the justice system.

The work culminated in a collaborative workshop between academics across the Universities of Oxford, Warwick, and Surrey, and representatives from Thames Valley Police. We are working on a paper together which aims to surface these ethical issues using real-life examples of tools used in policing. We hope that this will help decision makers in the police expand their awareness of the ethical issues that can arise and feel more informed when deciding what tools to use.  

It was fantastic to be part of such a supportive and intellectually rigorous community to refine these ideas. Taking time away from day-to-day work and being in a different environment to be immersed in these discussions was fantastically productive. I have no background in philosophy, so the different perspectives I heard through conversations with colleagues broadened my thinking substantially. The weekly seminars are thought-provoking, and the discussions are lively and supportive.

Beyond Ethox, Oxford is a wonderful city to visit. It has such a rich history, and a vibrant cultural scene to explore. I particularly enjoyed visiting the Bodleian library, which was a reminder of the privilege of doing this work in such a storied place. Visits to some excellent pubs and restaurants also helped to make the month so enjoyable! In sum, my time at Ethox has left a lasting impression on my work, I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the Ethox community, and I look forward to continuing the collaborations that began during my time there.