Latest news with #JusticeSecretary
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Telegraph
AI to predict prisoner attacks on officers
Prison officers are to use artificial intelligence to predict and prevent violence by offenders. They will deploy AI to more accurately assess the risk that criminals pose so that they could be transferred to high-security jails, segregated or placed in special separation units. AI will also be used to uncover prisoners' secret communications by scanning the data in confiscated phones for codewords and signals for drug dealing, drone drops and threats of violence. They are part of an 'action plan' by ministers to embed AI in the criminal justice system, from AI assistants for all civil servants to process information and write reports to judges seeking to distil evidence and compose decisions. It comes after it emerged prison officers are still waiting for stab vests nearly two months after the Government announced that they would be issued. The decision was made after after three officers were attacked with makeshift knives by Hashem Abedi, the Manchester Arena terrorist. On Thursday, figures will be released expecting to confirm a record rise in violence in prisons. Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, said: '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.' The AI violence predictor analyses different factors such as a prisoner's age, drug use, type of offences and previous involvement in violent incidents while in custody. It will enable prison officers to assess threat levels on wings and intervene or move inmates before violence escalates. Another AI tool will be able to digitally scan the contents of mobile phones seized from prisoners to quickly flag messages that could provide intelligence on potential crimes being committed behind bars, such as secret codes associated with drugs or planned violence. It will help staff to discover potential threats of violence to other inmates or prison officers as well as plots to escape or smuggle in weapons or contraband via drones. This technology, which uses AI-driven language analysis, has already been trialled across the prison estate and has analysed more than 8.6 million messages from 33,000 seized phones. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) also plans to create a single digital ID for all offenders with AI helping to link separate records across courts, prisons and probation for the first time. This will match records that may never be linked through old search systems due to slight typos or missing words, which will ensure prisons, probation and courts have full details on any offender to ensure they are properly monitored and correctly sentenced. Probation officers have started using AI to speed up searching for information, note-taking, drafting and redacting reports. It has already reduced time on paperwork by 50 per cent to give them more time to focus on face-to-face interviews and assessments of offenders' risk. Every member of staff in MoJ will have a secure AI assistant to help them draft emails, summarise documents, manage their inboxes, redact information and generate reports. Staff already have access to a Copilot Chat, AI software and ChatGPT which is already saving them 30 minutes a day and freeing up time for 'higher value' work. 'What used to take me half a day now takes 20 minutes. I've clawed back hours each week just by getting help with the first draft, the structure, or even just thinking through a problem,' said one. A digital assistant is being developed to help families resolve child arrangement disputes outside of court while AI is being deployed to tailor education and training programmes to suit the individual needs of prisoners. In June, Ms Mahmood also invited two dozen tech companies to pitch ideas for wearable technologies, behaviour monitoring and geolocation to create a 'prison outside of prison'. She told the tech companies she wants 'deeper collaboration between government and tech to solve the prison capacity crisis, reduce reoffending and make communities safer'. Ms Mahmood invited them to 'scale and improve' the existing use of tagging 'not just for monitoring but to drive rehabilitation and reduce crime'. The initiative is the latest sign of the Government's embrace of the technology industry to help deliver efficiency savings in creaking public services from schools to hospitals. In January, Sir Keir Starmer declared that AI was a way 'to transform our public services' and spoke about 'totally rewiring government'.
Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Telegraph
Prisoners released early in ‘sentencing error'
Criminals have been released from jail early 'in error' or illegally held longer than their release date at a 'dysfunctional' jail, watchdogs have revealed. Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, has served an urgent notification on HMP Pentonville after discovering that scores of inmates have been kept in prison after they should have been freed or accidentally released early because staff 'failed to calculate sentences accurately'. The watchdog said data from the prison showed 130 inmates – 20 per cent of those eligible for release – had been held illegally after their release date in the past six months. Ten prisoners were released early 'in error' between July 2024 and June 2025. In a letter to the Justice Secretary, the chief inspector said arrangements for new prisoners' first night at the north London jail and induction were 'chaotic and even frightening'. Men were held in dirty cells missing bedding, furniture, telephones and pillows, the watchdog said. The majority of prisoners were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours a day. The report also said 60 per cent of prisoners were sharing cells designed for one person, many living areas were dirty and there was a widespread infestation of mice and cockroaches. Inspectors took emergency action after they found oversight of prisoners under constant supervision was 'shockingly poor', with one prison officer found asleep, two reading books and another 'completely absent'. The 'unacceptable practices' in the care of prisoners under constant supervision was a particular concern for inspectors given three suicides at the jail in 2025. 'Shocking failures' Mr Taylor said: 'Pentonville is an overcrowded, inner-city, Victorian prison with a record of poor performance over many years. 'Too many of its staff have become disillusioned about the possibility of improvement or their capacity to affect change. Yet many of its shocking failures are firmly within the control of leaders. 'The governor will need significant support and investment from HM Prison and Probation Service to strengthen his senior leadership team, re-focus on the basics and put in place effective oversight and assurance systems to turn this failing prison around.' A survey of prisoners also revealed that 44 per cent told inspectors they felt unsafe at the time of inspection, which the watchdog said was the highest figure recorded during his tenure as chief inspector. Pentonville is the 10th prison to be issued with an urgent notification since November 2022, following Exeter, Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution, Woodhill, Bedford, Wandsworth, Rochester, Manchester and Winchester prisons. The emergency measure was introduced in 2017 as a way to raise immediate concerns following an inspection, which requires a response and action plan by the Justice Secretary within 28 days. Elsewhere, the inspector's report also found that when releases were planned, 23 per cent of those prisoners were homeless on the day they were released, and very few had employment on release. 'Undermines effective sentence planning' Reacting to the urgent notification, Pia Sinha, the Prison Reform Trust chief executive, said: 'Prisoners illegally held after they should have been released, or others released early in error, further undermine effective sentence planning and erode public confidence. 'This urgent notification must be a rallying cry for immediate action – fix the failing infrastructure, improve staff training and treat prisoners with dignity.' Andrew Neilson, the director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the findings of the inspection were 'outrageous' and represent a 'new low' for an overcrowded public service on the brink of collapse. He added: 'While the Government inherited a dire state of affairs in prisons, it has had more than a year to bring about change. 'As report cards go, such a dire account of dysfunction in Pentonville instils little confidence that ministers have a grip of the situation.'
The Independent
17-07-2025
- The Independent
Cockroach-infested jail put into special measures for illegally detaining prisoners
A cockroach-infested jail which illegally detained prisoners for longer than their release date has been put into special measures by a watchdog. An urgent notification on HMP Pentonville, in north London, has been served by Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor after an inspection discovered many inmates have been kept in prison after they should have been freed because staff 'failed to calculate sentences accurately'. The watchdog said data from the prison showed 130 inmates – 20 per cent of those eligible for release – had been held illegally after their release date in the last six months. The backlog in sentencing calculations also meant 10 prisoners had been released early 'in error' between July 2024 and June 2025. In a letter to the Justice Secretary, the chief inspector said arrangements for new prisoners' first night at the north London jail and induction were 'chaotic and even frightening'. Men were held in dirty cells missing bedding, furniture, telephones and pillows, the watchdog said, while the majority of prisoners were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours a day. The report also said 60% of prisoners were sharing cells that were designed for one person, many living areas were dirty and there was a widespread infestation of mice and cockroaches. Inspectors took emergency action after they found care of vulnerable prisoners under constant supervision was 'shockingly poor', with one prison officer found asleep, two were reading books and another was 'completely absent'. The 'unacceptable practices' in looking after these prisoners, deemed at serious risk of self-harm, were a particular concern for inspectors given three suicides at the jail in 2025. Mr Taylor said: 'Pentonville is an overcrowded, inner-city, Victorian prison with a record of poor performance over many years. 'Too many of its staff have become disillusioned about the possibility of improvement or their capacity to affect change. Yet many of its shocking failures are firmly within the control of leaders. 'The governor will need significant support and investment from HM Prison and Probation Service to strengthen his senior leadership team, re-focus on the basics, and put in place effective oversight and assurance systems to turn this failing prison around.' A survey of prisoners also revealed 44% told inspectors they felt unsafe at the time of inspection, which the watchdog said was the highest figure recorded during his tenure as chief inspector. Pentonville is the 10th prison to be issued with an urgent notification since November 2022, following Exeter, Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution, Woodhill, Bedford, Wandsworth, Rochester, Manchester and Winchester prisons. The emergency measure was introduced in 2017 as a way to raise immediate concerns following an inspection, which requires a response and action plan by the Justice Secretary within 28 days. Elsewhere, the inspector's report also found when releases were planned, 23% of those prisoners were homeless on the day they were released, and very few had employment on release. Reacting to the urgent notification, Prison Reform Trust chief executive Pia Sinha said: 'Prisoners illegally held after they should have been released, or others released early in error, further undermine effective sentence planning and erode public confidence. 'This urgent notification must be a rallying cry for immediate action – fix the failing infrastructure, improve staff training, and treat prisoners with dignity.' Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the findings of the inspection were 'outrageous' and represent a 'new low' for an overcrowded public service on the brink of collapse. He added: 'While the Government inherited a dire state of affairs in prisons, it has had more than a year to bring about change. 'As report cards go, such a dire account of dysfunction in Pentonville instils little confidence that ministers have a grip of the situation.' Prisons minister Lord James Timpson said he visited the prison on Thursday, where the team is already working to urgently address the concerns raised by the chief inspector. An action plan will also be published in the coming weeks to support the efforts. Lord Timpson said: 'This Government will end the chaos we inherited in our jails. 'We are building 14,000 new prison places and reforming sentencing so our jails reduce reoffending, cut crime, and keep victims safe.'
The Sun
09-07-2025
- The Sun
Dozens of electric fans delivered to struggling prison to help lags cope with upcoming heatwave
DOZENS of electric fans have been delivered to a struggling prison to help inmates cope with the upcoming heatwave. The £17.50 devices arrived at Victorian HMP Bedford this week — with temperatures set to reach 31C this weekend. The crumbling prison has two inmates to each cramped cell, leading to baking temperatures in hot weather. An inspection last year found filthy conditions, with calls for the jail to go into emergency measures. The Category B prison holds some 420 men and has had a series of problems, with riots in 2016. Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said conditions were 'some of the worst' he had seen. The Sun visited the site with the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood last year and saw piles of contraband vapes and cigarette packs, with the smell of cannabis present. Wardens showed improvised weapons including loo brushes fitted with blades and toothbrushes melted to form spikes. A Prison Service spokesman said: 'Fans can be purchased by prisoners using their own money.' The Prison Watchdog this week warned that lags in Britain's jails are spending their sentences getting high and watching daytime TV. A menu of substances including cannabis, cocaine, and steroids is on offer, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor says. Drones used by criminal gangs are so accurate that they can deliver drugs and weapons, such as zombie knives, directly to specific windows. Inside Belmarsh: Secrets of Britain's most notorious prisoners 1
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Thousands of defendants could be stripped of the historic right to trial by jury under new justice review
Thousands of defendants a year could be stripped of the historic right to a jury trial under radical proposals. A review commissioned by the Justice Secretary set out a range of measures to slash the Crown court backlog. It also proposed increased use of 'out of court' punishments – often dismissed by critics as a mere 'slap on the wrist' – for lower-level offenders. As revealed by the Mail yesterday, the review said criminals who plead guilty should get up to 40 per cent off their jail terms, up from the current maximum of one third. Under its main proposal, instead of suspects' guilt or innocence being decided by a jury they would face trial by a judge sitting with two magistrates in a new type of court. The major, 380-page report by retired senior judge Sir Brian Leveson said the move would save 9,000 Crown court sitting days a year, freeing up space for more serious cases to be heard in jury trials. The report did not say how many cases would switch to the new court – to be called the Crown Court Bench Division (CCBD) – but it is likely to be thousands each year in England and Wales. Jury trial would be removed for more than 170 types of crime, including sexually assaulting a child, causing death by careless driving, incest, firearms offences and importing drugs including Class A substances like heroin. The CCBD would be estimated to deal with cases 20 per cent more quickly than a regular Crown court trial, Sir Brian said, and it would have the same sentencing powers. His report added: 'Only through the combined impact of these measures can government start to overcome the current crisis and reduce the risk of total system collapse.' The current Crown court backlog stood at a record 76,957 cases at the end of March – with trials now being listed to take place in 2029 – while in magistrates' courts 310,304 cases were awaiting a hearing. The review called for 'greater use' of out of court resolutions such as cautions, community punishments and fixed penalty fines. Police and prosecutors should even review the current court backlog to see if cases would be suitable for out of court punishments, it said. 'It's not soft on crime at all. It is trying to tackle those areas of crime that are not presently being tackled,' Sir Brian said. He said the Government should find money to increase the number of Crown court sitting days by 20,000 a year to 130,000 to 'maximise the effectiveness' of his proposed reforms. It would cost £1billion by 2029-30, the report said. The courts report comes in the wake of separate Labour plans to shake-up prison sentences. A review published in May by former Tory justice secretary David Gauke – and accepted in principle by Labour – proposed allowing some criminals out of jail after serving just a third of their sentence. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: 'Taken together, the Leveson and Gauke reviews will see criminals like burglars and even some killers serve just a fifth of their prison sentence. 'That makes a mockery of our justice system.' Victims' Commissioner Baroness Newlove welcomed the report's 'bold, radical proposals' but added: 'For many victims, plans to increase sentence discounts for guilty pleas and expand out of court disposals will feel like justice being diluted once again.' Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she will consider the recommendations before publishing legislative changes in the autumn. Changes risk hollowing out the concept of punishment Analysis by David Barrett An art installation at the Ministry of Justice's brutalist HQ in Westminster offers passers-by the chance to brush up on a series of historic legal quotations. One extract displayed in white lettering on its plate glass windows comes from the Bill of Rights 1688. 'That excessive Baile ought not to be required nor excessive Fines imposed nor cruell and unusuall Punishments inflicted,' it reads. 'That Jurors ought to be duely impanneled and returned.' Perhaps Sir Brian Leveson did not glance at the artwork yesterday as he arrived at the building to brief journalists on his report, the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts. Once the Press conference was under way, Sir Brian was insistent his proposal to significantly curtail the right to a jury trial was Really Not That Much Of A Big Deal. Then, someone in the briefing made the mistake of mentioning Magna Carta. 'With great respect, Magna Carta did not call for trial by jury. Magna Carta talked about trial by peers,' Sir Brian bristled. He expanded the same point further in his weighty report, saying there is no constitutional right to jury trial. Whatever the historical origins, Sir Brian's proposals feel like a watershed moment. More than 170 crimes should no longer be eligible for jury trial, his report says. A very similar proposal was put forward 24 years ago under Tony Blair's New Labour, in a report by another judge, Sir Robin Auld. But it fell by the wayside after the director of civil rights group Liberty condemned the 'huge attack on fairness in the criminal justice system'. This time, Labour is trying to deal with a massive backlog in the courts and is far more likely to push on through. Other recommendations in Sir Brian's report will lead to shorter jail terms or no proper punishment at all. Labour has already introduced policies which are allowing tens of thousands more criminals a year out of jail early and it plans to go even further. The deeply troubling aspect of these changes is that Labour is rushing headlong into simultaneous and over- lapping reforms. It comes at a high risk that over-eager ministers will hollow out the justice system and the very concept of punishment itself.
