MOJ PUBLISHES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ACTION PLAN FOR PRISONS, PROBATION AND COURTS

The Ministry of Justice has now published its Artificial Intelligence Action Plan which aims to set out how AI technology will reduce reoffending.

The AI Action Plan states: 

“AI will be used across prisons, probation and courts to better track offenders and assess the risk they pose with tools that can predict violence behind bars, uncover secret messages sent by prisoners and connect offender records across different systems.”

The plan, developed in consultation with independent judiciary and legal services regulators, sets out a “responsible and proportionate AI adoption” across courts, tribunals, prisons, probation and supporting services. 

Priority areas include:

• Strengthened foundations –  ie enhanced AI leadership, governance, ethics, data and digital infrastructure – overseen by a dedicated Justice AI Unit .

• Embedded AI across the Criminal Justice System – improved administrative efficiency courtesy of AI productivity tools (search, speech and document processing), personalised education and rehabilitation tools (e.g. tailored training for both HMPPS workforce and offenders) and better decision-making through predictive and risk-assessment models (e.g. predicting the risk of violence in custody).

The hope is that AI be used to identify risk indicators and rehabilitation opportunities – enabling both prison and probation staff “to swiftly locate relevant guidance or evidence, saving valuable time and improving decision-making“.

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