Part of the problem is that, although getting data out of systems is fairly straightforward, putting the new data back in can be tough. How do you feed the forecasting information back into your inventory replenishment and planning systems? In most cases, there are no standard APIs to make use of, which means more integration work for IT.

Milley also believes that although predictive analytics may support decision-making, there is no guarantee that it will lead to the best decisions.

"Somebody, somewhere has to wallow in the data and validate it," Milley says.

And that is true whether it is a marketing campaign or a parolee's future.