Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The system will also be used to scan for mobile devices and fight drugs being smuggled into prisons.
The system will also be used to scan for mobile devices and fight drugs being smuggled into prisons.
What is happening?
UK prison officers will soon be equipped with AI software designed to flag inmates who may become violent — before any attack takes place, The TImes reports.
Justice Secretary Announces Futuristic Plan
The initiative is part of a wider government effort to restore control in overcrowded and dangerous prisons.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood will officially unveil the technology this week, marking a significant expansion of artificial intelligence in the UK’s criminal justice system.
She claims the tools will help make prisons safer and more manageable.
How the Violence Predictor Works
The AI assesses various data points including an inmate’s age and history of violent behaviour while in custody.
It then generates risk scores to help officers identify escalating threats on prison wings, allowing them to intervene or isolate individuals before trouble starts.
Echoes of ‘Precrime’ from Hollywood
The tool has drawn clear comparisons to the 2002 sci-fi film Minority Report, where a futuristic police unit uses psychic foresight to stop crimes before they occur.
In this real-life version, though, the predictive power comes from data analytics and machine learning instead of three psychics hooked up to a machine.
AI Tools Go Beyond Physical Threats
Another element of the plan involves AI that scans messages from mobile phones seized inside prisons.
The software can detect code words and patterns that may indicate planned violence, escape attempts, or smuggling of contraband.
Seized Phones Reveal Widespread Criminal Activity
Inmates often use illicit phones to coordinate gang activity, trafficking, and intimidation.
During trials, the AI combed through over 8.6 million messages from 33,000 devices, helping officials uncover organised schemes and inter-prison communications.
Soaring Violence Highlights Urgency
With over 10,600 assaults on prison staff recorded last year — a 15% rise — the need for preventive technology is pressing.
That figure equates to roughly 29 attacks on officers every day, making their role more perilous than ever.
Overcrowding Fuels Rising Tensions
Ministry of Justice research shows a direct correlation between prison overcrowding and violence.
With jails at 99% capacity and only 80 beds free across England and Wales last August, tensions are boiling over, raising the stakes for intervention.
Drones, Drugs, and a Prison System Under Siege
Contraband smuggling is also evolving, with drones now capable of dropping 10kg packages into jail yards.
Chief Inspector Charlie Taylor warns that prisoners are offered a “menu of drugs,” and even hints at the alarming possibility of drones being used for inmate escapes.
