Sophie, a Political Correspondent for the Mirror since December 2022, recently delved into testing the Ministry of Justice’s innovative technology. Having previously experienced wearing an alcohol tag in a pub, she now found herself immersed in a new surveillance system as a community offender.
The new system mandates that newly released or non-custodial sentence-serving individuals respond to behavior-related queries via a mobile questionnaire, followed by recording a brief identity verification video using artificial intelligence. According to Prisons Minister James Timpson, this initiative aims to maintain a sense of punitive oversight beyond incarceration.
Timpson, a proponent of leveraging technology to address prison overcrowding issues, introduced Sophie to the tech during her recent trial. She underwent the setup process at the Ministry of Justice before receiving unexpected check-in notifications on her work phone, prompting her to complete the survey, which included questions about her well-being and support needs.
During the trial, Sophie simulated struggling with mental health, financial issues, and excessive alcohol consumption. Responses triggering concern flags would prompt probation officers to provide necessary assistance. Additionally, participants must verify their identity through a brief video recording, a process that proved effective in Sophie’s interactions with others attempting the verification.
The surveillance tool, part of an £8 million initiative to enhance criminal monitoring, signifies a step towards creating a “prison outside prison” concept within communities. A pilot program launched in several Probation areas across England introduces this as an additional supervision tool alongside existing conditions like GPS tracking and curfews.
Timpson emphasized the importance of effective community punishment supervision and hinted at potential future expansions involving wearable tech or geolocation services for enhanced monitoring. Despite the system’s user-friendly nature during Sophie’s trial, its long-term impact remains to be seen, as offenders could potentially deceive the survey or experience changes before submission.
Timpson reassured that online check-ins would not replace essential in-person probation officer appointments. However, the introduction of tech-based emotional assessments may open doors for future possibilities, potentially altering the landscape of offender supervision if taken to extremes by future administrations.