Titus Henderson COMPAS parole denial

Wisconsin prison inmate Titus Henderson alleged that he has been denied parole due to the use of a controversial algorithmic risk assessment tool that discriminated against him and other African American inmates.

Convicted and incarcerated in July 1995 to serve a 40-year sentence, Henderson was determined a high risk and ineligible for parole in November 2015 based on an assessment by the COMPAS (Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions) risk assessment system.

Henderson sued Wisconsin's Department of Corrections and the company (Northpointe Inc.) and officials who developed COMPAS, alleging that both parties supported or created a racially biased programme and used it for parole decisions despite knowing its bias against Black offenders.

The judge rejected Henderson's claims, arguing there is enough information to infer that the Department of Corrections knew of the racial bias and its harm to African American inmates.