Recidiviz

Recidiviz is a nonprofit technology organization pioneering the use of data and AI to reform America's criminal justice system and reduce mass incarceration. Founded in 2018 by Clementine Jacoby, Andrew Warren, and Joshua Essex—three former Google product managers—Recidiviz began as a volunteer project to understand how technology could standardize criminal justice data and improve the system nationwide.

The organization partners with state departments of corrections to provide real-time data platforms, AI-powered case management tools, and decision-support systems that help identify people eligible for early release, improve supervision outcomes, and reduce recidivism. As of 2024, Recidiviz works with 16 state partners including Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and others, directly impacting the lives of people in prison and on community supervision.

Recidiviz's measurable impact is extraordinary: over the first two years in North Dakota, the platform helped reduce recidivism by 16%, the probation population by 9%, and the prison population by 25%. Across all partner states, Recidiviz has helped 156,000 people return home, contributing to more than $1.3 billion in savings. Projections show these policies could lead to over $3.8 billion in costs avoided and 245,000 life years given back to people in the system.

The organization operates with a small team and modest funding—having raised just $150K in a 2019 seed round from Y Combinator—but leverages significant philanthropic support from Arnold Ventures, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Mozilla Foundation, and Stand Together Trust. Recidiviz's technology suite includes eligibility tools that have helped 1,800 people earn their way back to liberty in Tennessee, North Dakota, and Idaho; supervision tools that streamline parole and probation workflows; AI-powered case planning that personalizes reentry plans; and public dashboards that provide unprecedented transparency into corrections data.

Executive Director Clementine Jacoby leads the organization's mission to partner with criminal justice agencies to advance data use and reduce incarceration. The September 2024 partnership with Iowa marked a major expansion, with Governor Kim Reynolds announcing the collaboration to improve corrections outcomes and enhance public safety using Recidiviz's proven data platform and tools.