Michigan prisons pilot AI risk classification for inmates

On November 2, 2026, Futurism reported, citing Detroit local outlet Fox2, that the Michigan Department of Corrections is moving ahead with an inmate categorization algorithm that will sort people into different housing levels based on how dangerous they are. The algorithm is being developed in partnership with Recidiviz, a technology nonprofit, and one stated goal of the system is to optimize the placement of incarcerated individuals. Michigan currently separates incarcerated people into five housing levels according to their security classification. In the past, those screenings were performed by a committee of staff appointed by the warden at each facility, and the state now appears to be handing that determination over to an algorithm instead. According to the report, the algorithm will be piloted first in several men's prisons. This is the only public reporting on the initiative so far, and details such as when the pilot will begin, how the algorithm operates, and how its assessments will be applied have not been disclosed. The Michigan Department of Corrections has not publicly commented on the project.