Recidiviz Named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2026

We're proud to share that Recidiviz has been named to Fast Company's list of the World's Most Innovative Companies of 2026 in the Not-for-Profit category. The annual list recognizes organizations shaping industry and culture through their innovations.

Everything we build is in partnership with corrections agencies, and this recognition reflects their willingness to think differently about how technology can improve outcomes for the people who live and work in their systems. Here's a look at the latest work we've done together.

Putting information directly in the hands of incarcerated people

Over half of the people in U.S. prisons don't know basic information about their own sentences — including their release dates. We surveyed more than 10,000 people across the country and heard this over and over again.

Last year, we launched a tablet app that changes that. The app gives incarcerated individuals personalized information about their sentences and shows them what rehabilitative programs and employment opportunities they can pursue to earn time off and get home sooner. Nearly 40,000 people have already logged in.

As the app scales to more states, we believe it can help people collectively spend tens of thousands fewer years incarcerated by connecting them with earned-time opportunities they didn't know existed.

AI-powered case planning that starts on day one

98% of incarcerated people eventually return to their communities. Yet most don't receive meaningful reentry preparation until the very end of their sentences — if they receive it at all.

Our new Case Planning Assistant uses AI to help case managers, reentry specialists, and parole officers develop comprehensive, personalized reentry plans for every person in their caseload. The tool integrates state policies, case data, and vetted partners with large language models and human oversight to produce detailed plans that connect people to treatment, housing, and employment resources.

Early results for the Assistant show it saves case managers an average of an hour per initial assessment and 20 minutes per reassessment — time they can reinvest in the people they serve. 

Scaling to 46% of the U.S. incarcerated population

Since 2019, Recidiviz has helped safely accelerate over 250,000 people out of the criminal justice system and saved partner agencies an estimated $1.5 billion in spending.

We're grateful to Fast Company for this recognition — but we know that none of this work happens without our partners. Everything Recidiviz builds starts with the corrections leaders, case managers, parole officers, clients and residents who share their insights, push back when something isn't working, and think innovatively alongside us about how to make things better. They are the ones closest to the problems, and the ones doing the hard work of putting these tools into practice every day. We're proud to share this recognition with them.