Leveraging Technology-Driven Nudging for Decision-Making in Criminal Justice - Expert Perspectives

Aim/Purpose This study investigates how technology-driven nudging can enhance decision-making quality and consistency in the U.S. criminal justice system, addressing declining public trust. Background In today’s digital age, Information Technology (IT) plays a crucial role in improving decision-making in the criminal justice system, especially in the United States. Despite the technological adoption and advancements in the domain, trust in decision-making within the system is decreasing. Methodology The study employs qualitative research through focus groups and grounded theory analysis, as it is an exploratory study. Participants were chosen using a mix of convenience and purposive sampling in multidisciplinary domains such as criminal justice, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, law, and behavioral psychology. The participants were experts with more than ten years of experience in their respective domains. Further, grounded theory approach was utilized for data analysis. Contribution The study presented a conceptual framework derived from the insights of the focus group data that addresses fundamental factors which influence the implementation, adoption, and evaluation of the efficacy of technological interventions in the U.S. criminal justice system, by focusing on intervention, outcomes, and contextual factors in a practical and more realistic approach. Findings The study identified benefits of using technology driven nudges to support decision-making in the criminal justice system while identifying considerations for implementing technology-driven nudging interventions. In addition, the study found six contextual factors which affect interventions and outcomes, including voter influence, public perception, environment and resources, decision-making scenarios, and decision-makers’ attitudes. Further, the study proposed a conceptual(theoretical) framework that can be utilized by practitioners and researchers to design, implement and evaluate the technological interventions in criminal justice decision making. Recommendations for Practitioners Practitioners can use the study’s conceptual framework as a guide to design, implement, and evaluate nudging interventions tailored to the criminal justice context. Recommendations for Researchers Researchers can build on the proposed theoretical framework, to initiate research experiments and refining it through empirical testing and expanding it to accommodate a wider range of scenarios within criminal justice and beyond. Impact on Society The findings support the development of guidelines or regulations for the ethical and effective application of digital tools in decision-making within the criminal justice system. Additionally, this study can contribute to rebuilding trust in the criminal justice system by employing technology-driven nudging methods that enhance transparency and accountability. Future Research Future research should empirically validate the nudging framework by assessing long-term societal impacts and explore applications in other domains.