During this simulation, I find myself giving weight to the risk of violence when making my decision. I am a bit surprised at some of the assault charges that state there is a low risk of violence. It makes me wonder how the risk is determined. I also find I am not very concerned with what the defendant’s statements are. It seems likely they will say whatever they feel will help them stay out of jail whether the statement is true or not. I found the stories that popped up interesting, they relayed information that people were not showing up for court. I would assume this happens more than the public is even aware of. I did notice though that it was not common to see a story that someone released committed another crime.

This simulation was difficult because I didn’t really feel I had enough information to make an informed decision. I was left deciding what I felt was important in regard to the limited information I had. I would like to know how the program chose the category for violence, appearing in court or committing a crime. What was this based on? Personal history? Demographics? Or something else entirely? I would have liked to know if this was a first offence or if the person was a repeat offender as that would have altered some of my decisions. Before using a program such as this to make important decisions, I would hope that the judges have an in-depth understanding of how the program works and what information it is using. The outcome of these decisions has implications on both the defendant as well as the general public.