Powering prevention through collaboration & technology
Impact of crime
The impact of crime reverberates across the whole of society. It could be a victim who is physically hurt due to an assault, a community scared to leave their property after dark due to anti-social behaviour, or a business owner unable to make a living due to thefts from a shop. With the undoubted economic challenges we are going to be faced with post COVID-19 the £59 billion cost of crime figure published by the Home Office also can’t be ignored. The criminal justice system exists to addresses the consequences of criminal behaviour in society but is that the right focus?
Prevention is preferable
There is nothing new about the concept that prevention is better than cure. Today we are living through one of the starkest examples in a generation that demonstrates the importance of prevention. Vaccination to prevent COVID-19 is clearly preferable than dealing with the resulting illness.
In the justice context, prevention is also considered as far more beneficial than dealing with the consequences of criminality and crime after the event. Tackling the upstream causes of crime however is an extremely complex issue involving social factors and vulnerabilities such as inequality, poverty, parental neglect, alcohol and drug abuse. Through its engagement with lived experience forum members the Revolving Door Agency use the excellent metaphor of ‘a knot’ to describe the complex and interconnectedness of these issues.
Coming back to the economics of crime, according to a report from the Ministry of Justice it costs the UK taxpayer over £44,000 a year on average just to keep someone in prison for a year. Consider this against a starting salary for a police constable, according to the Police Federation, of £26,199.
The reoffending challenge
There has rightly been a focus in recent years on rehabilitation of offenders in the justice system, the rationale for this is obvious, the most prolific offender is the reoffender. Nearly half of all adults reoffend within one year of release, this figure increases to 77% for children who have served short sentences of under 12 months according to a report produced by Prison Reform Trust.
Many people consider the role of prevention is about stopping individuals entering the criminal justice system however it’s clear that preventing reoffending is equally important.
The case for collaboration & technology innovation
Preventing crime requires collective action, it can’t be tackled by government alone it needs a more joined up approach across central government, police, schools, local authorities, NHS, private sector, charities and other organisations. The issues surrounding crime are so intertwined that it is unrealistic to think fixing any individual issue alone will result in a long term improved outcome so a more whole of system approach involving a collaboration of agencies is more likely to be able to undo the knot of issues.
Technology alone won’t prevent crime but it is a valuable tool that can be employed to help improve crime prevention. Robot police may sound far-fetched but they are already a reality in Dubai and China helping improve front line policing and crime prevention. AI is also a tool that has the potential to transform prevention. There is a saying that what is predictable is preventable, so having the ability to quickly sift large quantities of data to identify patterns and make rapid decisions based on the data will be hugely relevant.
Case study – The Ben Kinsella Trust
The Ben Kinsella Trust, is a leading anti-knife crime charity formed after the senseless killing of 16 year old Ben Kinsella in 2008. The trust educates young people on the dangers of knife crime and helps them to make positive choices to stay safe.
Using workshops to follow the journey of both the victim and the offender through a series of unique and immersive experiences to show young people how choices and consequences are intrinsically linked.
The trust already had strong links with schools, local authorities, police and other organisations. In 2019 the Ben Kinsella Trust and Sopra Steria formed a partnership with the aim of using technology innovation to help tackle knife crime.
One of the initiatives that we have piloted is a Virtual Reality interactive experience that allows young people to safely experience a challenging scenario involving peer pressure and understand the consequences of carry a knife in a safe environment.
Sopra Steria have also implemented a digital survey tool to capture and report on outcomes from the exhibition and helped the improve and extend the trusts social media engagement.
Georgie Morgan
Georgie Morgan
Georgie joined techUK as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager in March 2020, then becoming Head of Programme in January 2022.
Georgie leads techUK's engagement and activity across our blue light and criminal justice services, engaging with industry and stakeholders to unlock innovation, problem solve, future gaze and highlight the vital role technology plays in the delivery of critical public safety and justice services. The JES programme represents suppliers by creating a voice for those who are selling or looking to break into and navigate the blue light and criminal justice markets.
Prior to joining techUK, Georgie spent 4 and a half years managing a Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) in Westminster. She worked closely with the Metropolitan Police and London borough councils to prevent and reduce the impact of crime on the business community. Her work ranged from the impact of low-level street crime and anti-social behaviour on the borough, to critical incidents and violent crime.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgie-henley/
Cinzia Miatto
Cinzia Miatto
Cinzia joined techUK in August 2023 as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager.
The JES programme represents suppliers, championing their interests in the blue light and criminal justice markets, whether they are established entities or newcomers seeking to establish their presence.
Prior to joining techUK, Cinzia worked in the third and public sectors, managing projects related to international trade and social inclusion.
- Email:
- [email protected]
Ella Gago-Brookes
Ella Gago-Brookes
Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes.
Before joining the team, she was working at the Magistrates' Courts in legal administration and graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2022. Ella attained an undergraduate degree in History and Politics, and a master's degree in International Relations and Security Studies, with a particular interest in studying asylum rights and gendered violence.
In her spare time she enjoys going to the gym, watching true crime documentaries, travelling, and making her best attempts to become a better cook.
- Email:
- [email protected]