Asst professor at NYU interested in computational public policy and the justice system. Co-direct @comppolicylab. I'm at https://xitter.cf/t.co/u9C7zzsmKP on Bsky
New York, NY
Joined June 2011
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Have you ever forgotten an important date—like a birthday for a loved one?
Now imagine if forgetting meant ending up in jail.
Two years ago, we ran a randomized experiment that found that text message reminders reduce jail stays for missed court dates by over 20%.
ALT A hand holding a smartphone displaying a court date reminder on screen.
Alex Chohlas-Wood retweeted
Jennifer Eberhardt (@StanfordSPARQ) and I have a piece out today in Vital City explaining our recent report with the @NypdMonitor and arguing for greater use of AI and computational tools for analysis of police body camera footage to build accountability and trust.
Cops record millions of hours of bodyworn camera footage every year — and most of it just sits there. Can AI help ensure it gets put to better use for analyzing policing and improving training? @rfpvjr and Jennifer Eberhardt think so. vitalcitynyc.org/use-ai-to-a…
In an age of rapidly evolving AI, we are *just* starting to learn how we can properly regulate these powerful new technologies.
While many new regulations will be well-intended, we won't know what really works until we try many different approaches.
This week at @BrookingsInst, me, @chiraagbains, and Katie Kinsey argue for why states should take the lead on the regulation of AI in criminal justice settings, a high-stakes setting where effective regulation could not be more important.
CCJ just released a comprehensive guide to help CJ agencies make the right decision about whether and how to adopt AI.
This guide reflects many productive discussions we've had on the Task Force for AI over the last year—kudos to CCJ for distilling this into a practical guide!
As criminal justice agencies and practitioners face urgent questions about how to effectively and safely adopt AI tools, CCJ's Task Force on AI released a new decision guide to help stakeholders evaluate, implement, and oversee AI in the justice system. counciloncj.org/assessing-ai…
Alex Chohlas-Wood retweeted
How can AI improve the New York Police Department and the justice system as a whole?
A perspective from CCJ Task Force on AI member @AlexChohlas-Wood in @VitalCityNYC explores the potential opportunities, and risks, of the new technology: vitalcitynyc.org/how-to-depl… @LX_CW
Police depts nationwide are racing to adopt AI.
Yet the NYPD hasn't permanently adopted a new AI tool since 2016.*
That stagnation is a choice. And it's NYC's most vulnerable residents who pay the price.
In @VitalCityNYC this week, I lay out a better path forward. (Link below)
ALT A 911 call dispatcher working in front of five open screens. CC By 2.0. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143513894@N04/27188584211
* According to the city's official AI inventory, which has its own issues — as I discuss in the piece!
vitalcitynyc.org/articles/ho…
In January, the NYPD said it would put two officers on every late-night subway car in New York City.
How can we know whether the NYPD kept its promise?
ALT Police officers face away from the camera toward a New York City subway train. The photo is taken through a fare gate. Photo credit: Metropolitan Transit Authority via CC 2.0.
In a new blog post for the @AmstatNews, @jjhall_77 and I make novel use of the city's 911 data to show that overnight train patrols more than doubled after the city announced its new policy in January.
ALT A time series of overnight subway patrols between September 2019–June 2025. Subway patrols more than doubled after the NYPD's policy announcement, from about 7,500 train patrol calls per month before the announcement to over 15,000 calls per month after the announcement.
Learn more about how you can use 911 data to understand police deployment in our short blog post for ASA's Committee on Law and Justice Statistics:
community.amstat.org/lawandj…
Learn more about our study in this thread from two years ago:
xitter.cf/LX_CW/status/171031171…
In a new randomized experiment at the Santa Clara County Public Defender Office, my colleagues and I found that text message reminders reduce *incarceration* for missed court dates by over 20%! More in the 🧵 below. alexchohlaswood.com/assets/p…
And read more in a great piece from the Mercury News in San Jose (where our study was conducted):
mercurynews.com/2025/10/01/s…
