AI Aims to Predict & Prevent Prison Violence

Uploaded on 2025-08-04 in FREE TO VIEW

Violence on UK prison staff continue to rise, and now, the UK’s Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to improve safety and control of criminal inmates.

MoJ figures show 10,568 assaults on staff in 2024, with the number of people dying in jail increasing by almost 30%.

This new AI initiative is part of a broader action plan to incorporate AI into the criminal justice system and it aims to reduce risks and increase operational efficiency in correctional facilities.

The AI violence predictor will analyse different factors such as a prisoner’s age and previous involvement in violent incidents while in custody.

This will help prison officers assess threat levels on wings and intervene or move prisoners before violence escalates.

Another AI tool will be able to digitally scan the contents of mobile phones seized from prisoners to rapidly flag messages that could provide intelligence on potential crimes being committed behind bars, such as secret code words.

This will allow staff to discover potential threats of violence to other inmates or prison officers as well as plans to escape and smuggle in weapons or contraband.

AI will be used across prisons, probation and courts to better track offenders and assess the risk they pose with tools that can predict violence behind bars, uncover secret messages sent by prisoners and connect offender records across different systems.

By processing this data, the AI system can assess the risk posed by individual inmates more accurately, leading to more informed decisions regarding their placement in different security-level prisons, isolation from other prisoners, or assignment to specialised separation units.

Beyond violence prediction, AI will also assist in streamlining administrative tasks.

For example, AI will be used to draft reports for officers who may lack the time to fully review case details, thus helping to clarify key information and support decision-making.

Additionally, AI will analyse data from confiscated mobile phones, searching for coded language or signs of illegal activities, such as drug dealing or plans for violence and escape.

The technology is expected to have a significant impact on prison security, helping staff identify potential threats and violence risks before they escalate.

This includes identifying threats to both inmates and prison officers, as well as spotting attempts to smuggle in weapons or organise escapes.

The MoJ is also planning the introduction of a digital ID for offenders, which will allow better tracking of criminal records across courts, prisons, and probation services.

This new system, supported by AI, will help ensure that offender records are accurate and complete, preventing cases where slight discrepancies in data could lead to mismanagement, or missed connections in criminal histories.

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