Pro Bono
Advancing Justice Through Data
Deliberize harnesses data science to expose systemic inequities, empower advocates, and drive evidence-based policy reform for a more equitable justice system.
Our pro bono initiatives transform complex legal data into actionable insights, collaborating with advocates and organizations to create measurable social impact in the criminal justice system.
We believe data can be a powerful catalyst for systemic reform when paired with skilled analysis and strategic advocacy. Through our work, we aim to bridge the gap between raw criminal justice data and the meaningful changes needed to create a more just and equitable society.
Our Pro Bono Mission
Deliberize is committed to transforming the criminal justice system through rigorous data analysis that exposes inequities, informs policy, and empowers advocates to create meaningful change.
Equal Justice
Exposing disparities in bail decisions that disproportionately impact low-income communities and people of color
Evidence-Based Reform
Creating compelling data narratives that drive policy change and legislative action
Systemic Impact
Developing tools and insights that address root causes rather than symptoms
Flagship Initiative
New York Bail-Reform Analysis
Our collaborative analysis of bail decisions reveals how judicial practices impact pretrial detention rates across different demographics and regions in New York State, providing critical data to reformers and policy advocates.
Get Involved
Are you a legal aid organization or advocacy group working on criminal justice reform? We may be able to offer pro bono data analysis support.
Overview
Bail is the fee a defendant can pay to be released from custody pending trial, ensuring court appearance. The bail system's controversy stems from potential pretrial detention of those unable to afford it, often leading to stays at facilities like Rikers Island.
CPL 510.10 outlines bail-setting guidelines for judges. This project aims to analyze judicial adherence to these laws in New York State, with particular focus on identifying patterns that may indicate systemic inequities in how bail is determined across different demographics and regions.
Dataset
Our analysis combines several key data sources to create a comprehensive picture of bail practices across New York State:
- New York Pretrial Release Data
Comprehensive records of bail decisions across New York State courts, including judge identification, charges, and bail amounts
- Census Average Median Income for New York State counties
Economic context for regional analysis of bail decisions, allowing us to identify correlations between community resources and judicial outcomes
Methodology
Our research methodology follows a rigorous three-step process designed to uncover meaningful patterns while controlling for relevant legal factors:
Regression Analysis
Create a "New York Judge" profile using regression models to analyze bail decisions and assign feature importance values, identifying which factors appear to most strongly influence bail determinations.
Regional Pattern Identification
Develop county-specific profiles to identify regional variations in judicial decision-making and explore whether socioeconomic factors correlate with bail practices.
Comparative Analysis
Assign profiles to individual judges, comparing them to county and state averages to identify outliers and determine whether specific judges deviate significantly from their peers in ways that may indicate problematic patterns.
Research Questions
Our project seeks to answer several critical questions about the bail system that can inform advocacy and policy reform efforts:
- What factors correlate most strongly with bail amount decisions, and do these align with legally permissible considerations?
- Are there high-importance factors that shouldn't influence decisions (e.g., race, gender, county median income) that appear to be driving bail determinations?
- How do importance values for different factors vary among judges, and what might this reveal about inconsistent application of bail laws?
- Are there regional patterns that suggest systemic disparities in how bail is determined across different communities?
Real-World Impact
Policy Briefs
Our findings have informed advocacy groups' legislative recommendations and policy briefs
Community Education
Data visualizations that make complex bail patterns accessible to community organizers
Defender Resources
Tools that help public defenders identify patterns in bail decisions for similar cases
Limitations & Cautions
Drawing Inferences
Correlation ≠ Causation. This model identifies patterns but should not be used to infer causality beyond correlations. Multiple factors may contribute to observed disparities.
Disclaimer
This project is not intended for use by counsel in individual cases. It solely examines apparent judicial adherence to CPL 510.10 guidelines at a systemic level.
Dataset Limitations
This data is incomplete, both in its range and its scope. As it is currently running, the model only accounts for bail amounts > 0, which excludes cases where release was granted without monetary conditions.
Partner With Us
If you're working on criminal justice reform initiatives and could benefit from data expertise, we'd love to explore potential collaborations.