While studying criminal science at the University of Chicago, Devshi Mehrota and her classmate Leslie Jones-Dove (also a Fastcase 50 2022 honoree) built out JusticeText. The tech was developed after they learned that an incredible volume of admissible data is collected from police body camera footage, interrogation videos, jail calls, and more – but there was very little infrastructure in place to help public defenders use this material. Enter JusticeText, an audiovisual evidence management platform designed to produce fairer criminal justice outcomes by expediting the review of collected video and audio data. Its speech-to-text machine learning algorithms transcribe video footage evidence, speeding up pre-trial preparation and helping overburdened and under-resourced public defenders better defend their clients. Public defender agencies in several states are already noticing the impact of JusticeText on outcomes for indigent defendants. With grants and accolades already under their belt, including Forbes 30 Under 30 and winning the MIT SOLVE – Antiracist Technology in the U.S. challenge, the social entrepreneurs are strengthening the capacity of public institutions to provide criminal defense representation for all Americans, regardless of income.
