Artificial intelligence chatbots could be used to stop prisoners from being mistakenly released from jail, a justice minister told the House of Lords on Monday.
Lord James Timpson said HMP Wandsworth had been given the “green light” to use AI after a specialised team was sent in to find “quick fixes”. The move follows a double manhunt last week after the incorrect release of a sex offender and a fraudster from the south-west London prison.
It is understood AI could be used to read and process paper documents, help staff cross-reference names to ensure inmates are not hiding behind aliases, and calculate complex release dates. Currently, many of these jobs are performed by inexperienced staff using calculators, reports The Guardian.
Responding to questions in the upper chamber, Lord Timpson highlighted the scale of the problem at Wandsworth compared to other prisons.
“The number of releases per prison varies dramatically. HMP Gartree averages two releases a year, whereas, as I previously said, in Wandsworth it is 2,000,” he said. “That is why the digital team last week went into HMP Wandsworth, to look at opportunities for some quick fixes to embrace digital technology.
“The AI team went in and, to give a couple of examples, they thought that an AI chatbot would be really helpful, along with a cross-referencing for aliases, because we know some offenders have more than 20 aliases. We have given the team the green light to get on with examples like that.”
Drone incidents in prisons
The AI initiative is part of a broader effort by the Ministry of Justice to utilise technology in combating security threats. The government also recently launched a “Counter-Drone Challenge”, inviting industry to find new ways to detect drones. It comes as drone incidents in prisons increased by over 770 per cent between 2019 and 2023. Successful applicants to the challenge will receive £60,000 in funding to develop proof-of-concept systems.
“We have taken decisive action to combat the scourge of drones in prisons – investing heavily in physical security and cutting-edge technology,” Lord Timpson said in a separate announcement. “This challenge will help us harness innovation to keep staff safe, disrupt criminal networks and support prisoner rehabilitation.”
The turn to technological solutions comes amid a series of high-profile errors. In the 12 months to March this year, 262 prisoners were released in error, a 128 per cent increase from 115 the previous year, according to government data.
Unions and governors have stated that the recent increase in errors is due to complicated early release schemes and a paper-based system. The chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, called the spate of errors “embarrassing and potentially dangerous” and “a symptom of a system that is close to breaking point”.
