AI Set to Revolutionise Prison Safety: Predicting and Preventing Inmate Violence
In a significant move to enhance safety within correctional facilities, the UK Ministry of Justice is set to implement artificial intelligence (AI) to predict and prevent violence. This initiative aims to proactively identify potential threats posed by inmates, thereby protecting both prison officers and other prisoners.
Key Takeaways
AI will be used to assess the risk levels of prisoners, enabling timely interventions such as transfers or segregation.
The technology will scan confiscated mobile phones for coded messages related to drug dealing, weapons, and violence.
This strategy is part of a broader government plan to integrate AI across the criminal justice system.
Predicting and Preventing Violence
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to deploy AI systems that can analyse various factors, including a prisoner's age, drug use, offence type, and history of violence within custody. This predictive capability will allow prison officers to better assess threat levels on prison wings and intervene before incidents escalate.
This approach is being likened to "Minority Report" but is seen as a crucial step in managing increasingly violent prison environments. Figures indicate a record rise in violence and self-harm within prisons, making proactive measures essential.
Uncovering Secret Communications
Beyond predicting physical violence, AI will also be employed to scrutinise data from confiscated mobile phones. By scanning millions of messages for codewords and signals, the technology aims to uncover illicit activities such as drug trafficking, planned drone drops for contraband, and threats of violence. This is particularly relevant as mobile phones are identified as a major source of violence and gang activity within prisons.
Broader AI Integration in Criminal Justice
The deployment of AI in prisons is part of a wider "AI Action Plan" by the Ministry of Justice. This plan envisions AI assisting civil servants with information processing and report writing, aiding judges in distilling evidence, and creating a single digital identity for all offenders. This digital ID, powered by AI, will link disparate records across courts, prisons, and probation services, improving offender monitoring and sentencing accuracy.
Furthermore, AI is already being used to streamline administrative tasks for probation officers, reducing paperwork by 50% and allowing more time for direct offender engagement. The government is exploring further applications, including AI assistants for all Ministry of Justice staff and digital tools to help families resolve child arrangement disputes outside of court.
International Precedents
In considering these advancements, the Ministry of Justice is examining how AI is used in other countries, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Netherlands. Hong Kong's prisons, for instance, use AI-powered cameras to detect suspicious behaviour, while Singapore employs systems that analyse inmate movements to flag potential trouble. While acknowledging potential controversies, such as concerns about discriminatory algorithms raised by civil liberties groups regarding Dutch predictive policing software, the UK government is keen to adapt effective technologies.
Future Outlook
The initiative signifies a commitment to leveraging technology to create safer, more effective prison regimes, reduce reoffending, and ultimately enhance public safety. The aim is to equip prison staff with advanced tools to manage risks proactively and focus on rehabilitation and crime reduction.
