NIJ Launches Recidivism Challenge Support Successful Reentry

Data science has the potential to contribute to factors of successful reentry, such as helping identify gender-specific needs and reduce racial bias in corrections. NIJ has launched the Recidivism Challenge to invite our nation’s brightest data minds to be a part of this effort, and to provide critical information to community corrections departments that may help facilitate more successful reintegration into society for previously incarcerated people and those on parole. 

Contestants can win prize money for their development of a recidivism forecasting model using data provided by NIJ. The Challenge has three categories of contestants:  

1. Students 
2. Individuals and small teams and/or businesses 
3. Large businesses  

There are three submission deadlines under the Challenge:   

1. Submission period 1: May 31, 2021, 11:59:59 pm ET 
2. Submission period 2: June 15, 2021, 11:59:59 pm ET 
3. Submission period 3: June 30, 2021, 11:59:59 pm ET 

NIJ will evaluate all entries on how accurately they forecast the outcome of recidivism. Recidivism is defined in this Challenge as an arrest for a new crime. To receive prize money, winning applicants must provide a comprehensive document detailing the lessons learned about what variables did and did not matter to their final forecasting model and, when applicable, what type of models outperformed other models.  

There are 115 total prizes available, for up to 15 per contestant/team, totaling $723,000. 

An informational webinar will be held Thursday, May 6 from 1:00-2:00 ET. Register to attend or get notified when slides and transcript are available.

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