Bits, Bytes, and Bars: Towards a Digital Twin of the US Criminal Justice System
Amir Reza Asadi, Taiwo Peter Akinremi, Joel Kwesi Appiah, Hansinie Madushika Jayathilake, Opetunde O Ibitoye, Hazem Said · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · 2025
Digital twins have been successfully used in various sectors to monitor performance, understand systemic problems, and evaluate solutions. However, their application in social contexts remains an emerging area of research. Gallup survey in 2023 reported that only 20% of Americans say they have a “great deal” of confidence in the US Criminal Justice system, and it makes exploring the potential usage of digital twins for advancing criminal justice an interesting social issue. Through a multidisciplinary focus group, this exploratory study investigated the challenges, potential benefits, and use cases for implementing digital twins in the US criminal justice system. The identified challenges are ethical issues, resistance to change, competing narratives, limitations of applying industrial perspectives to social issues, and power dynamics. Building digital twins in criminal justice can offer significant benefits, such as promoting equity and fairness, enhancing efficiency, resource optimization, and improving public safety. The study recognized the role of human-computer interaction in addressing these challenges and adapting digital twins for use in complex social systems. It recommends that policymakers consider a pilot project to test digital twins’ benefits.