COMPAS
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COMPAS (Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions) is a risk-and-needs assessment tool developed by Northpointe. The Wisconsin Supreme Court described its use to support correctional decisions and estimate recidivism risk by comparison with groups of people. It is included here as an algorithmic decision-support system.[1]
State v. Loomis
In State v. Loomis, decided July 13, 2016, the Wisconsin Supreme Court considered due-process objections to COMPAS at sentencing, including its proprietary methodology and use of gender. It permitted consideration subject to limitations and cautions; the judgment was not unrestricted approval of algorithmic sentencing.[1]
Limits on sentencing use
The court said risk scores must not determine incarceration or sentence severity, or be determinative of whether someone could be supervised safely in the community. Courts must explain the independent factors supporting the sentence. Required cautions address matters including proprietary methodology, group-based predictions and validation concerns.[1]
COMPAS illustrates legal questions about the information available to challenge a score and the weight a public decision-maker may give it. The judge retained responsibility for the sentencing decision.[1]
Related articles
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wisconsin Supreme Court, State v. Loomis, 2016 WI 68, July 13, 2016, paragraphs 6–9, 13–15 and 93–100. Accessed September 12, 2026.