The Ministry of Justice has launched an artificial intelligence “action plan” that aims to embed the use of cutting-edge technology to improve the running of the department and its agencies.
Headline measures in the document include the creation of a single digital ID for all offenders, with AI helping to link separate records across courts, prisons and probation for the first time.
Organisations across the public sector will be able to use the system to access information derived from individuals’ documents to “prove a user’s eligibility for a service”, according to the guidance.
The MoJ said the system would be able to match records in a way that was not previously possible because of typographical errors or missing words – and that the results would include better monitoring of offenders and more effective sentencing.
AI will also be used to predict the risk individual offenders pose to the prison system, allowing better-informed decisions to be made about where they are placed.
CSW's sister publication PublicTechnology reported on the department's Violence In Prisons Estimator last month after transparency documents revealed details of its use in assisting prison officers to decide which category of institution inmates should be housed in.
Another channel of AI activity is the development of a tool to digitally scan the contents of mobile phones seized from prisoners for intelligence on criminal behaviour inside the secure estate.
The MoJ said a trial of the technology had seen more than eight million messages analysed from 33,000 confiscated phones. It added that, in prison, mobile phones are often used for gang activity, drug trafficking and intimidation – and are a major source of violence.
Elsewhere, the department said that pilot studies in the Probation Service have shown that AI use can cut note-taking time by 50%, allowing officers to focus on risk management, monitoring and face-to-face meetings with offenders.
It said a tool would be rolled out to all probation officers and “potentially” to prisons and courts staff.
More broadly, the MoJ said it will launch an “AI for All” drive that will provide all staff members with secure, enterprise-grade AI assistants by December this year. The campaign will also include tailored training and support.
Another innovation contained in the AI Action Plan for Justice is the development of a digital assistant to help families resolve child arrangement disputes outside of court.
Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said AI would “transform” the justice system and that the department was committed to embracing its full potential.
“These tools are already fighting violence in prisons, tracking offenders, and releasing our staff to focus on what they do best: cutting crime and making our streets safer,” she said.
In his foreword to the action plan, prisons minister James Timpson said the MoJ is “fundamentally rethinking its use of technology to improve outcomes for the public and contribute to wider economic growth”.
The actio -plan document references MoJ’s creation of the Justice AI Unit, which has Dan James as its director and departmental “chief AI officer”.
The Justice AI Unit is described as being responsible for the delivery of the plan, with “critical input” from the department’s data science, digital and transformation teams.
According to the MoJ, the action plan has a three-year delivery timeframe for its strategic priorities, with 2025-2026 being the first of those years. However the document cautions that delivery is “subject to funding”.
It also acknowledges that the MoJ has “infrastructure challenges” which must be addressed “to enable AI readiness”.
“Reliable digital infrastructure is critical to effective AI adoption across the justice system,” the action plan states. “Despite progress, including improved WiFi connectivity in courts and prisons, modernised IT systems, and expanded cloud capabilities, significant infrastructure gaps remain. Without addressing these, AI solutions cannot achieve their full potential.”
Nevertheless, the plan pledges to strengthen connectivity, security, and computing capabilities across the MoJ estate to “ensure AI is not merely an isolated solution that doesn’t get past pilot stage, but a core enabler of efficiency and better outcomes in courts, prisons, and probation”.