Criminal & Legal System Justice

Peer-Reviewed Papers

Judicial Professional Background and Pretrial Detention Outcomes. Oren, O., Topaz, C. M. Journal of Law and Courts (2025).

Quantifying Fair Chance Policy Implementation and Employer Engagement. Bliven, J., Johnson, A., Stanley, Z. C., Topaz, C. M., Chalfin, A., Higdon, J., & Bass, T. The Prison Journal, 0(0) (2025).

Using Data Science for Social Good: Mapping Opportunity Youth. Z.C. Stanley, C.M. Topaz. Math Horizons 32(4), 22–26 (2025).

A structured dataset of the Federalist Society’s public engagements. C.M. Topaz. F1000 Research 14 (2025).

Data Collection and Analysis for Small-Town Policing: Challenges and Recommendations. Kelling, C., Haensch, A., Mendible, A., Brooks S., Wiedemann, A., Aminian, M., Hasty W. & Higdon J. Statistics and Public Policy (2024).

Federal criminal sentencing: race-based disparate impact and differential treatment in judicial districts. C.M. Topaz, S. Ning, M.-V. Ciocanel, S. Bushway. Nature – Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 10 (366) (2023).

Racial disparities in criminal sentencing vary considerably across federal judges. Goldrosen, C.M. Smith, M.-V. Ciocanel, R. Santorella, S. Sen, S. Bushway, C.M. Topaz. J. Inst. Theor. Econ. 179 (1) (2023).

Algorithms in Judges’ Hands: Incarceration and Inequity in Broward County, Florida. U. Bahl, C.M. Topaz, L. Obermüller, S. Goldstein, M. Sneirson. Submitted (2023).

New York City Jails: COVID Discharge Policy, Data Transparency, and Reform. E. Miller, B.D. Martin, C.M. Topaz. PLOS One 17 (1) (2022).

Impacts of California Proposition 47 on Crime in Santa Monica, CA. J. Crodelle, C. Vallejo, M. Schmidtchen, C.M. Topaz, M.R. D’Orsogna. PLOS One 16 (5) (2021).

JUSTFAIR: Judicial System Transparency through Federal Archive Inferred Records. M.-V. Ciocanel, C.M. Topaz, R. Santorella, S. Sen, C.M. Smith, A. Hufstetler. PLOS One 15 (10) (2020).

Foundational Papers (aka White Papers)

Paths to Decarceration: Enhancing Community Safety and Justice. Version 1.1: 2023-09-22. A. Chalfin, & B. Street. (2023).

Cost of Discretion: Judicial Decision-Making, Pretrial Detention, and Public Safety in New York City. Oren, Oded, Topaz, Chad M., & Oliva, Courtney M. (2023).

Federal Criminal Sentencing: Race-Based Disparate Impact and Differential Treatment in Judicial Districts. C.M. Topaz, S. Ning, M.-V. Ciocanel, S. Bushway. Submitted (2022).

Trade, Articles & Editorials

Unlocking Justice: The Power of Data to Confront Inequity and Create Change. C.M. Topaz. Princeton University Press (forthcoming).

As Mamdani begins appointing judges, study finds former cops, prosecutors set higher bail. R. Kost. Gothamist (2026).

Foster negotiation between police and protestors for a peaceful DNC. D. White, C.M. Topaz, N. Rodríguez. Chicago Tribune (2024).

Will Milwaukee police fuel violence at Republican National Convention protests. D. White, C.M. Topaz. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (2024).

Police must refrain from escalating violence. D. White, N. Rodríguez, C.M. Topaz, T. Kighuradzae. JAM News (2024).

Algorithms in Judges’ Hands: Incarceration and Inequity in Broward County, Florida. U. Bahl, C.M. Topaz, L. Obermüller, S. Goldstein, M. Sneirson. UCLA Law Review (2024).

Cooperation can end violent protests. D. White, N. Rodríguez, C.M. Topaz. New York Daily News (2024).

Quantifying federal sentencing disparities with inferred sentencing records. M.-V. Ciocanel, N. Goldrosen, C.M. Topaz. SIAM News Research (2023).

Studying Judicial Decision-Making Is Not Intimidation. O. Oren, C.M. Topaz, C.M. Oliva. New York Law Journal (2023).

Study of judges reveals costs of pretrial detention. O. Oren, C.M. Topaz. Albany Times Union (2023).

What Happened When Rikers Let Out Hundreds? Follow the Facts. C.M. Topaz & J. Higdon. New York Daily News (2022).

Analysis of Pretrial Hearings in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. N. Goldrosen, C.M. Topaz.

More Published Research