Investment into latest technology to better protect the public
Part of digitisation drive to improve efficiency across the
justice system
Thousands of families will be spared the stress of court or
obtain speedier justice thanks to £56 million announced in the
Spring Budget.
This will mean families can access early legal advice and resolve
their disputes away from the court room, such as agreeing child
arrangements, and forms part of a wider £170 million investment
into the justice system announced this week.
At the same time, vulnerable families with serious safeguarding
concerns such as domestic abuse and child safety will benefit
from the expansion of a new model which will see increased
support and a less adversarial approach in the family courts.
The investment into the justice system will increase the use of
new technology and artificial intelligence to boost productivity
and deliver better value to the taxpayer.
This includes streamlining probation processes to bolster public
protection and better assess an offender’s risk, as well as a new
online system for prison staff to make administrative tasks
quicker and easier.
Increased digitisation will also save significant administrative
time across the justice system ensuring frontline staff can
better focus on delivering justice and keeping the public safe.
As part of the package announced this week, £100 million will be
invested in measures in prison designed to support rehabilitation
and cut crime, such as schemes to help offenders find work on
release. The investment will also be used to hire more staff and
refurbish the workshops prisoners rely on to learn the skills
that will turn them away from crime.
The Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, , said:
This significant new investment will ensure thousands more
families can access the legal advice they need to resolve their
disputes as early as possible – without the trauma of courtroom
battles.
It will also allow us to harness new technologies and fund
innovative schemes, such a risk profiling for offenders, that
will drive down reoffending and keep the public safer, while
delivering better value for taxpayers and a more efficient
justice system.
This announcement forms part of plans for government to deliver
up to £1.8 billion worth of benefits by 2029 through a total £800
million investment.
Further information
The funding commitments in the Budget for MOJ include:
- introducing a new digital risk assessment system for the
Probation Service to help staff determine offenders’ risk
profiles
- £6 million to accelerate the rollout of technology for prison
staff to determine prisoner’s release and tracks prisoner
appointment attendance
- £16 million to test the potential of prison workshops in
select sites to more than double their productivity and improve
employment outcomes on release
- £56 million for the Family Courts including to expand a pilot
for Early Legal Advice for separating couples
