Understanding the AI and Justice Ecosystem: A Stakeholder Analysis

The Capstone team conducted a stakeholder analysis for the AI and Justice Consortium (AIJC), through mapping the emerging ecosystem of artificial intelligence in the U.S. criminal justice system and identifying where AIJC can credibly position itself as a field-builder. The central question was how stakeholders, including policymakers, practitioners, funders, researchers, and educational institutions, are shaping the use of AI within criminal justice, with particular attention to New Jersey.

The team executed a five-phase, stakeholder-centered methodology from January through April 2026: background research and literature review across governance frameworks (NIST, OECD, Council of Europe) and state-level guidance (CA, NY, NJ); seven semi-structured stakeholder interviews with practitioners, university partners, and funders; thematic coding and analysis; funder-landscape mapping across fifteen prospective grantmakers; and synthesis into strategy.

The conclusion reached was that AI adoption is outpacing governance, that institutional silos across police, courts, and corrections are adopting tools without shared guardrails, and that no organization has yet translated high-level principles into a practical minimum standard for local agencies. Practitioners want guidance, funders want a stable thesis, and policy partners want a credible convener.

The Capstone team recommended AIJC pursue five strategic moves: set a minimum governance standard; scope early AI use to administrative-support cases; stabilize and diversify its funding base; confront racial bias as the central oversight question; and build the field through convening, New Jersey pilots, and educational artifacts that create funder urgency.