Across the country, judges are using secret computer systems to decide who gets bail, who stays in jail, and how long a person is sentenced. These “risk assessment tools” are proprietary, unregulated, and too often biased. And the people most affected have no way to challenge them. It’s time for a change.

FairCode is a youth-led initiative exposing and challenging the algorithms shaping justice. Founded by student researcher and debate champion Gabrielle McKenzie, FairCode blends legal research, policy advocacy, and digital storytelling to push for transparency and reform. We believe technology should serve justice, not distort it.

This isn’t just theory. FairCode is actively building a public-facing campaign to:
- Meeting with judges, lawyers, and civil rights leaders to push for reform
- Publishing policy briefs that translate legal research into action
- Creating digital media to educate peers and communities
- Hosting youth forums to amplify underrepresented voices
- Collaborating with legal mentors and academic institutions to build long-term solutions

Algorithms are not neutral. In fact, a 2016 ProPublica study found that COMPAS, one of the most widely used tools, mislabeled Black defendants as “high risk” nearly twice as often as white defendants. When secret code shapes sentencing, due process is undermined and racial bias deepens. FairCode exists to change that.