In Pursuit of Fairness: A Research Note on Gender Responsivity and Racial Bias in Criminal Justice Actuarial Risk Assessments

• Published date: 01 March 2025
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/08874034241300162
• Author: Rachael M. Rief,Raven A. Lewis,D. Michael Applegarth
• Date: 01 March 2025

https://doi.org/10.1177/08874034241300162

Criminal Justice Policy Review

2025, Vol. 36(1-2) 40 –53

© The Author(s) 2024

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DOI: 10.1177/08874034241300162

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Research Note

In Pursuit of Fairness: A

Research Note on Gender

Responsivity and Racial Bias

in Criminal Justice Actuarial

Risk Assessments

Rachael M. Rief1, Raven A. Lewis2,

and D. Michael Applegarth3

Abstract

The National Institute of Justice Recidivism Forecasting Challenge was designed to

enhance knowledge about predicting recidivism. In December 2021, the winning

contestants attended a symposium. This article reviews points about fairness in

criminal justice risk assessment discussed by symposium participants. The transcripts

were thematically coded to reveal discussion points. This article reports the topics

from roundtable discussions which centered on developing algorithms to achieve

racially equitable outcomes and account for gender-specific needs. The following

specific themes regarding bias in risk assessment were identified: reducing bias,

improving fairness in risk assessments, gender-specific needs, and implications

of gender-specific needs for programming. These identified themes point to the

complexity of addressing bias in risk assessment. Conflicting definitions of fairness

mean that stakeholders must prioritize what is most important to them. Stakeholders

should pay close attention to variables that predict female recidivism and develop risk

assessments and programming with gender-specific needs in mind.

Keywords

risk assessments, implementation, fairness, gender, race

1University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

2Rutgers University, Newark, Newark, NJ, USA

3University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA

Corresponding Author:

Rachael M. Rief, Department of Criminal Justice, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305130,

Denton, TX 76203, USA.

Email: rachael.rief@unt.edu

1300162CJPXXX10.1177/08874034241300162Criminal Justice Policy Review XX(X)Rief et al.

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