Ian Porée, former executive director of HM Prison and Probation Service, explores the potential for AI to help address the prison crisis

With prison overcrowding and high-profile cases dominating the headlines in recent months, pressure on the justice system has been thrust into the media spotlight. 

The connection between addressing the challenges of an overstretched prison service and advances in technology may not be immediately obvious. But government is actively exploring the potential for tools such as AI to reduce the demands on prison and probation officers. 

The launch of the first AI Action plan for Justice by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) in July 2025 outlined a three-year strategy to embed AI across all areas of justice. This could be game-changing for probation officers, case workers and youth justice teams. 

AI has huge potential to reduce routine administrative work so staff within the justice system can focus on tasks that have a direct impact on their ability to protect the public, prevent reoffending and provide the support needed to help prevent the revolving door of repeat offending. 

Shaping policy on AI in the prison service
There are several key areas where AI technology could have a major impact on the future of justice and offender management.

Some of the significant challenges of hiring, training and retaining staff within the criminal justice system highlighted in the Criminal Justice Joint Inspection report have led to overflowing prisons and workloads. AI could ease some of this pressure by handling many of the time-consuming tasks this area of the workforce undertakes. 

Relatively simple AI tools could automatically screen candidate applications, schedule interviews and track the progress of staff through mandatory training. These are currently largely manual tasks that may take up hours of time and divert staff away from meaningful activities that help to develop the skilled workforce the sector needs. 

Justice professionals working with individuals at risk of offending and their families could also benefit from AI technology. Each conversation they have is crucial to identify risk factors, monitor progress and determine what additional support is needed. 

After a serious incident, a probation officer may need to review hours of prior meeting notes to identify key information such as previous convictions, patterns of offending or changes in behaviour that can indicate increased risk. Using AI, all this information could be summarised in a fraction of the time, including the terminology, situations and vocabulary specific to the justice system. This would free up more time for probation workers to support the individuals and families they work with.

More efficient probation process
Helping people on probation to change their offending behaviour is central to the criminal justice service. Even seemingly small setbacks, such as missing a drug and alcohol cessation session or an anger management group, can increase the likelihood of reoffending. In these situations, probation officers must quickly reassess risk and the potential impact of a missed appointment on an individual’s mental health and wellbeing.

AI can help inform these decisions by analysing patterns from past cases to identify the circumstances that have previously led to reoffending and assess the potential future risk. Probation officers or social workers could then be prompted much sooner to contact someone as behaviour starts to change and appointments are missed. It could make all the difference to someone’s pathway to a life without crime. 
 

The human side of the justice system 
The probation service depends on human skills to build trust, understand context and tailor interventions to each individual. Heavy caseloads often pull staff away from this critical work. 

By taking on time-consuming administrative tasks and analysing large amounts of case 
data, AI can free up probation officers to focus their expertise where it’s needed most. 

It can also help triage caseloads by highlighting individuals at the greatest risk, so staff can prioritise supervision and support effectively.

But probation doesn’t work in isolation and different parts of the justice system have distinct roles. The police prioritise public safety and responding to immediate threats, probation focuses on rehabilitation and risk management and the prison service balances security with preparing people for release. 

AI can help coordinate this work by analysing information across services and flagging 
when someone needs attention from multiple teams, such as when preparing to leave prison and reintegrate into the community. It can also be used to provide services with a more complete picture of an offender’s circumstances. 

Transforming data sharing
Information from policing, health, education and housing services is often needed to identify people who may be at risk of future offending. However, each service has its own rules on what data can be shared and when. This makes it difficult for any single agency to build a full picture of someone’s situation. To avoid breaches of confidentiality, staff may only share the minimum information required. While well-intentioned, this may mean that vital details are missed.

AI is particularly well suited to improving these kinds of rules-based workflows. By training AI tools on representative datasets, such as anonymised information about prior convictions, mental health support and housing history, patterns and connections can be uncovered that might otherwise be hidden. Crucially, this can be done securely, within data-sharing protocols, helping teams access better insights without compromising privacy.

An AI-enabled future for justice
I recently contributed to ‘The Role of AI in the Human World of Justice’, a white paper published by NEC Software Solutions which included insights from experts across the justice system and explored how AI can support criminal justice professionals to tackle the complex challenges they face.

From identifying early signs of anti-social behaviour and monitoring county lines activity to preventing violent crime, AI has the potential to reduce harm and ensure that prison is reserved for the most serious cases. Whether it’s used to spot the early signs of anti-social behaviour, track county lines activity or prevent violent crime, AI can help the justice sector to reduce harm and reserve prison for only the most serious cases.