The Center for Justice Innovation has developed a groundbreaking Institutional Review Board reviewed bias indicator tool to identify interpersonal bias in criminal legal practitioners since subjectivity has been known to impact program effectiveness, exacerbate minoritized community contact, impact access, and result in lower case census and outcomes. The Justice System Bias Indicator Tool (JS-BIT) is for treatment court judges, attorneys, probation officers, case managers, and others with decision-making authorities. It takes 15 minutes to complete.

The JS-BIT is based on 20-plus years of research, including Harvard University’s development of the Implicit Association Test (IAT). The tool includes specialized justice system prompts that target the system actors’ unconscious biases and the implicit stereotypes that may impact their decision-making. Take the JS-BIT as an individual to gain insight into potential interpersonal bias and encourage team members to complete the tool so as a team you can strategize ways to address disparities.

Although the tool is designed for treatment court practitioners, it can be used in the larger criminal legal context. The tool will encourage practitioners to examine their bias, consider training resources, and engage in technical assistance. The Center invites you to use this tool as step one to address the disparities in your court.