Unlocking Justice: The Power of Data to Confront Inequity and Create Change

by Chad M. Topaz

How we can challenge social injustice—with data and humanity

The American legal system does not offer equal justice to all; we can see obvious racial disparities in sentencing, policing, and incarceration. In Unlocking Justice, Chad Topaz offers a concrete way forward, demonstrating how a candid dialogue between social justice and data science can empower communities, spark informed debate, and inspire advocacy. In addition to big ideas, Topaz brings the receipts—the data. Drawing on unedited police call logs, chaotic city websites, fragmented judicial records, and other overlooked sources, Topaz explains how social forces shape the data we collect, influencing whose voices are heard and whose remain unheard. From a rural New England town plagued by police misconduct to New York’s notorious Rikers Island jail, the stories Topaz tells demonstrate how numbers can expose injustice—and how data can underpin activism.

Topaz shows readers how to interpret data in context and question underlying assumptions, providing even those who might be math-averse with practical tools to challenge inequities. He takes readers through his own data science activism, including an examination of public judicial data that revealed the identities of judges who imposed excessive bail; a data-driven investigation of racial disparities in policing, prompted by a police station’s openly displayed portrait of Hitler; and an analysis of Florida’s controversial risk algorithm, COMPAS, for racial bias. The book’s “Show Your Work” companion website connects readers to data sources and the studies behind the stories. When we are armed with the facts and the numbers, Topaz assures us, we can all be effective advocates for transparency, accountability, and justice.

232 pages, Hardcover

Published June 2, 2026

Reviews

[Judalicious · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I am married to the author and therefore may have *some* bias. That caveat executed, I highly recommend this book. It is a witty, thoughtful, fun read that plumbs the depths of aspects of our broken political and legal system, analyzes them using (highly accessible) maths, and shares a hopeful vision for fixing the problems. The book chronicles more than 10 years of statistical sleuthing executed by the author and his collaborators using poignant examples from the news as a starting point to explain how policing, courts, and legislative processes work and how those systems continue to slant toward over-criminalization and -incarceration of Black and brown people in America. Equal parts School House Rock, math detective, and justice warrior, “Unlocking Justice” serves as a model for how all of us can use our unique superpowers - in this case, analytical technical skill - to fight for a more equitable and just world.

[Kathryn I · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professor Topaz's book, Unlocking Justice, uses lively writing and concrete data to illustrate how we can learn from data to make our society more just and equitable. He shares engaging stories and offers context for interpreting information to show how the sum of individual experiences is really the story of the structural application of our legal system. Only after understanding who we are and how we got here can we transform our criminal legal system into a criminal *justice* system.

Unlocking Justice is hopeful and galvanizing. It is fun to read and I'm filled with hope! I think it is particularly important to mention this as we grapple with the book's serious subject during a precarious moment in American history when we are collectively asking big questions about how committed we are to democracy and justice.

[Oliver Berman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an early draft of this book as one of Chad's students, and I just spent the past few days re-reading it. It's clear, it's funny, it's gut-wrenching, and more than anything, it's inspiring. So much of what I read these days makes me feel powerless in the face of government and corporate forces, and this book does the opposite. It reminds you that you actually can do something about injustice, and it shows you how, regardless of your experience with data and math. The course the book is based on sparked passion and research that changed my life. I imagine that, on some scale, the same will be true of many readers of this book.

[Sarah GH · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not the kind of person who would ordinarily read a book that contains the word “data” in the title. I pre-ordered this book on the recommendation of a colleague, and I’m so glad I did. As a licensed social worker in a metropolitan area, I consider myself to be somewhat up to date on issues of race and gender discrimination. But, wow, I didn’t know the full extent to which discrimination is systemic/pervasive. Some of the examples Dr. Topaz provides are astonishing. This book is easy to read, easy to digest, and (despite what the numbers show) not as big of a downer as you might think.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was super easy to read with little nuggets of humor throughout. While not all the outcomes presented were surprising, the journeys to get to those outcomes were wrought with insights and unbelievable obstacles. Every chapter offers up tactical engagement opportunities specific to the concepts within it and recognizes not everyone is meant to be leading the charge on righting injustice. Small actions can have large impacts. I am enlightened and inspired.
Time to bring this read to book club!

[Courtney Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often struggle to find books that are right in that intersection of nerdy, wonky, and engaging. The author knocks it out of the park! If you are looking for a way to connect technical practices in a data science course (or stats, or applied math) with timely, relevant applications to the judiciary, I can't recommend this enough.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so enlightening. It sheds light on inequities in such a concrete way. Do not be "put off" if you are not a mathematician, the author presents the material in a very accessible and relatable manner. I am only 1/3 of the way through but am already entrhalled.

Update - Finished the book. I am enlightened, enraged and emboldened. While the book addresses heavy topics the author does it with some humor and leaves each chapter giving you a way to make changes in your own community. Reading this has made me question the way my profession uses data and how I personally and we as a collective can do better with data and justice.