Author: Lauren Curtis

The SJI Board of Directors will be meeting on Monday, December 4, 2023, at 1:00 PM ET. The purpose of this meeting is to consider grant applications for the 1^st quarter of FY 2024, and other business.

ADDRESS: SJI Headquarters, 12700 Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 340, Fairfax, Virginia.

Natural Language Programming (NLP) is a field of computer science that employs predictive analytics and machine learning with a focus on the interaction between computers and both written and spoken language.  Over the past decade, courts have successfully employed NLP techniques for routine case management tasks such as redaction, data extraction, document classification, and automated data population into databases.  With generous funding from the State Justice Institute, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) explored the feasibility of NLP to support civil case management.  The project focused on two stages of civil case management — assigning cases at filing to an appropriate case processing track and reviewing case filings to ensure that fundamental guarantees of procedural due process are satisfied before entering final judgment.  The Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators identified both stages as critical to effective civil case management in their recommendations for the Civil Justice Initiative. 

The studies employed NLP techniques for data extraction, relational matching, and document classification, comparing its performance with the same tasks performed by trained staff.  On data extraction tests, NLP performed at 90% or higher on most data elements needed for case triage, and likely would have performed even better with additional human direction during the machine learning phase of the study.  It was less successful on the document classification test, but largely due to poor image quality on the documents themselves rather than inability to accurately extract the necessary data for analysis.  Based on the findings, NCSC emphasized the need for adequate human involvement in the machine learning phase to ensure consistent and accurate performance as well as high quality data on which to begin learning.  In addition to the final report, the NCSC developed instructional videos on NLP and other artificial intelligence technologies, strategies for implementing these technologies, and a resource guide, all of which are available at https://www.ncsc.org/cji.

The Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice‘s new, brief video captures the methods and process through which your jurisdiction can undertake critical steps that produce significant improvements of the performance of your youth justice system. Featuring RFK National Resource’s Executive Director, John A. Tuell, and Deputy Executive Director, Jodi Martin, the video reflects the work that courageous youth justice leaders across the country have undertaken to produce important and necessary advances in their #youthjusticesystem using the Probation and Youth Justice System Review. The #video also highlights the opportunity to analyze and reform probation and court staff policies and practices that ultimately produce outcomes for youth, families, and communities.

To watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=W-TlIxlREr-TGTu9&v=nGHbOSalcJw&feature=youtu.be

For more information: https://rfknrcjj.org/our-work/

Truly modern courts are open, effective, and equitable. The Pew Charitable Trusts just recently published a framework that offers courts a roadmap to improve public trust in and the transparency of the civil legal system; support court user engagement; and help ensure that case outcomes are fair. The first toolkit centers on the principle that open courts are committed to transparency, and that courts should collect, use, and share data to continually improve interactions with their communities.

To read the full report: How to Make Civil Courts More Open, Effective, and Equitable | The Pew Charitable Trusts (pewtrusts.org)