Revolutionizing Case Review with Open-Source Agentic AI
AUSTIN, Texas, March 12, 2025 -- The Open-Source AI Foundation (O-SAIF) is proud to announce the launch of The 20% Project, a groundbreaking initiative leveraging open-source Agentic AI to transform the criminal justice system and save taxpayers money. This initiative will deploy AI-powered case review technology to analyze, prioritize, and recommend cases for pardon and commutation consideration starting with the more than 160,000 federal incarcerated individuals currently under review.
Led by Michael "Harry-O" Harris, founder of Death Row Records, who spent 33 years in prison before receiving a Presidential Pardon, The 20% Project aims to streamline and modernize the case review process using cutting-edge AI technology.
"The U.S. holds only 5% of the world's population but over 20% of its incarcerated individuals—a statistic that demands urgent reform," said Harris, President of The 20% Project. "I was put up for pardon multiple times and denied due to emotional bias. With open-source Agentic AI, we can overcome bureaucratic barriers while ensuring public transparency and participation. This technology allows us to work as fast as both humanly and 'machinely' possible, and I am honored to lead this effort for those still serving sentences."
AI-Powered Legal Assistance for Faster, Fairer Pardons
The 20% Project will integrate custom-built, open-source Agentic AI to assist legal teams and pardon review experts, substantially reducing the time and complexity involved in processing applications.
"Each pardon application requires an enormous amount of time and energy to properly address all of the questions and requirements, making the process slow and inefficient," said Brad Cohen, General Counsel for The 20% Project and a seasoned attorney and pardon expert in Washington, D.C. "By leveraging open-source Agentic AI, we can dramatically accelerate this process while maintaining integrity and fairness. This initiative has the potential to right-size the criminal justice system."
A Partnership Built on Transparency, Human Rights, and Open-Source Innovation
Brittany Kaiser, Data Rights Activist, Chairwoman of O-SAIF, and Chief Strategy Officer of Eliza Systems, emphasized the project's commitment to transparency and ethical AI development.
"Eliza Systems is proud to support this mission with a significant endowment, demonstrating how open-source AI can be a powerful force for human rights, data rights and accountability," said Kaiser. "Our goal is to disrupt outdated technology systems that are not serving the cause of criminal justice reform, and proving that open-source AI is the perfect partner for justice, transparency, and systemic change."
Eliza Systems, the govtech arm of elizaOS, the leading open-source AI agent framework on GitHub, has committed millions in development resources to ensure this initiative's success. O-SAIF will work with Eliza Systems to advocate for support from key policy makers, including Pam Bondi and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Redefining Criminal Justice Reform
"This initiative will reshape the narrative around criminal justice reform and redefine how case reviews, pardons, and commutations are handled," said James Davis, Communications Partner for O-SAIF and The 20% Project. "Having worked in this field for decades, I am excited to be part of a team dedicated to real, measurable change."
www.theopensourceai.foundation
About The Open Source AI Foundation (O-SAIF):
The Open-Source AI Foundation (O-SAIF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of open-source AI for public good, transparency, and ethical governance. Alongside partners like Eliza Systems and OpenTeams, O-SAIF works across sectors to ensure AI technology serves humanity, and focuses on criminal justice reform, data rights, and policy advocacy.
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