Tech firms suggested placing trackers under offenders’ skin at meeting with justice secretary
Tracking devices inserted under offenders’ skin, robots assigned to contain prisoners and driverless vehicles used to transport them were among the measures proposed by technology companies to ministers who are gathering ideas to tackle the crisis in the UK justice system.The proposals were made at a meeting of more than two dozen tech companies in London last month, chaired by the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, minutes seen by the Guardian show.Amid an acute shortage of prison places and probation officers under severe strain, ministers told the companies they wanted ideas for using wearable technologies, behaviour monitoring and geolocation to create a “prison outside of prison”.Those present included representatives of Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Palantir, which works closely with the US military and has contracts with the NHS.IBM and the private prison operator Serco also attended alongside tagging and biometric companies, according to a response to a freedom of information request.
Mahmood told the tech companies she wants “deeper collaboration between government and tech to solve the prison capacity crisis, reduce reoffending and make communities safer”.She invited them to “scale and improve” the existing use of tagging “not just for monitoring but to drive rehabilitation and reduce crime”.The prisons minister, James Timpson, called for a “tech-led approach to justice”.The initiative is the latest sign of the Labour government’s embrace of the technology industry to help deliver efficiency savings in creaking public services from schools to hospitals.In January, Keir Starmer declared that AI was a way “to transform our public services” and spoke about “totally rewiring government”.
The push by the Ministry of Justice follows last month’s review of sentencing by the former justice secretary David Gauke, which called for fewer short prison sentences and the greater use of AI as well as possible wider use of facial recognition technology in public to help cut the overcrowded prison population by almost 10,000,At the meeting last month, which was hosted by the industry lobby group Tech UK, ministers asked the tech companies what a “digital, data and technology-enabled justice system” could look like in 2050,Responses included: “Real-time behaviour monitoring and subcutaneous tracking” to support the health, and “behaviour management” of people under the control of the criminal justice system; artificial intelligence advisers to support offenders’ rehabilitation; and robotics “used to manage prisoner movement and containment” including “self-driving vehicles [to] transport prisoners”,Human rights campaigners called the ideas “alarmingly dystopian” and warned that the meeting suggested the government may be “getting too close to the tech giants”,A second meeting with tech companies is scheduled for Tuesday, with Lord Timpson due to hear 20-minute pitches for new ideas at what officials are calling an “innovation den”.
A government source stressed the ideas raised so far were hypothetical talking points to bring about conversations about the future of offender management to better protect the public,The justice secretary has previously said she is “not squeamish” about using technology such as “gait recognition”, a type of biometric monitoring of humans’ unique movement patterns, which some believe could help prevent violence in jails before it happens,An MoJ spokesperson said: “As the public would rightly expect, we continue to explore technology that will help us cut crime, effectively monitor offenders and keep the public safe,”Donald Campbell, the director of advocacy at Foxglove, a non-profit organisation campaigning for fairer use of technology which obtained the FoI response, called the suggestions “alarmingly dystopian”,“It is chilling to know that justice ministers have sat with the tech sector to discuss using robots to manage prisoners, implanting devices under people’s skin to track their behaviour, or using computers to ‘predict’ what they will do in future,” he said.
Other suggestions from the tech companies included using high-powered quantum computers to “analyse past data to predict future behaviours and create diversion paths” and to automate sentencing calculations in the overstretched probation service.But there were also fears raised about the consequences of relying too much on technology.One response recorded in minutes was that: “If misapplied, these technologies could lead to dystopian outcomes that are difficult to reverse.”Campbell said: “The idea that tech companies can produce tools to ‘predict’ crime has been discredited time and again – it is disappointing to see that they are continuing to push it – and that the MoJ is so willing to listen.”Tech UK, which hosted the meeting, said it was part of efforts to create a fairer, better and more effective justice system.
A spokesperson said: “It is essential that the future of justice is shaped with transparency, accountability, and public trust at its core.”Google, Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and Palantir did not respond to requests for comment.Serco said: “We will not be commenting on this activity”.
Georgina Hayden’s recipe for spiced crab egg fried rice
Crab deserves to be celebrated, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a super-fancy, laborious meal. Crab midweek? Yes, please, and fried rice is my fallback whenever I am in a dinner pickle. That’s not to belittle its deliciousness, complexity or elegance, though, because this spiced crab version can be as fancy as you like. That said, the speed and ease with which I can create a meal that I know everyone will love is the winning factor. Plus, I often have leftover cooked, chilled rice in the fridge, anyway, which is always the clincher (cooked rice has a better texture for frying once chilled)
How to make coffee and walnut cake – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass
Today is my birthday, so I’m celebrating with a classic that, for all the sticky tres leches and sophisticated sachertortes I’ve enjoyed in recent years, remains my absolute favourite, my desert island cake: that darling of the WI tea tent, the coffee and walnut sandwich. The great Nigel Slater once named it his last meal on Earth, and I’m hoping to have it for tea.Prep 30 min Cook 25 min Serves 8225g room-temperature butter 4 tbsp instant coffee (see step 1)100g walnut halves 4 eggs 225g soft light brown sugar 225g plain flour 3 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp fine salt Milk (optional)For the icing165g room-temperature butter425g icing sugar ¼ tsp salt 4 tbsp double cream (optional)If you’ve forgotten to get your butter out of the fridge, begin by dicing and spacing it out on the paper to soften (remember, you’ll need some for the icing, too).Mix the coffee with two tablespoons of boiling water and leave to cool – I like the nostalgic flavour of instant coffee here, but you can substitute three tablespoons of espresso or other strong coffee, if you prefer.Toast the walnut halves in a dry pan until they smell nutty, then set aside a quarter of the most handsome-looking ones to use as decoration later
From mochi ice cream to strawberry sandos, Japanese sweet treats are tickling UK tastebuds
If you said to a friend that you fancied Japanese food this weekend, they might be forgiven for thinking you meant sushi. But lately a new culinary export from Japan is catching up with fish and rice in the hearts and tastebuds of British foodies.Soft, sweet and full of character, Japanese-style desserts – from mochi ice cream to matcha cookies – have been steadily gaining ground on UK shelves.Such is their popularity, M&S has launched its own take on the strawberry sando, a Japanese convenience store favourite, a sandwich made with soft milk bread, whipped cream and neatly layered fruit.According to some industry commentators, British retailers are taking note of consumers’ growing appetite for “joyful” sweet treats as a simple pleasure to brighten their days
My Glastonbury food odyssey: 10 of the best dishes – whether you’re feeling hungover or healthy
From vegan katsu curry to smoked barbecue brisket, the festival has an incredible array of street food. Here are the stalls worth queueing forThe food choices at Glastonbury can feel overwhelming – a smorgasbord of street food from around the world, which can trigger terrible choice paralysis when you’re operating with a hangover, on zero sleep, or both. Fear not. Here are some guaranteed Glastonbury food wins, whether you’re looking to stave off the mother of all hangovers or simply on the hunt for something green.South of the Pyramid stageA massaman curry served on brown rice (£14), this is loaded with nutritious ingredients, including greens, kimchi pickles and new potatoes
Duchy, London EC2: ‘The small plates concept, once so edgy, shows no sign of relenting’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants
Why am I paying £28 for chicken and mash?I felt a compulsion to go to Duchy, in east London, because I had dined at its predecessor, Leroy, in 2018, as well as its genesis, Ellory, in 2015. These three different restaurants share DNA. Yes, 10 years have passed, but very little in the pared-back, pan-European anchovies-on-a-plate-for-£12 dining scene has moved on.No-frills decor, bare-brick walls, earnest small plates, staff with statement moustaches despite it not being remotely near Movember. We all know the drill for such places
Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for courgette linguine with trout, lemon and dill | Quick and easy
This is such a lovely, summery dish: it takes under 30 minutes from start to finish, and I found it immensely reviving after a long day. The grated courgette melts into the pasta, and works perfectly with the lemon, trout and a hit of chilli. If you have one of those multi-nut and seed mixes (the M&S 35-plant one is excellent), by all means add a scoop to finish; otherwise, a scattering of toasted pine nuts will add a welcome crunch. An elegant dinner for two.Prep 10 min Cook 20 min Serves 22 trout fillets 2½ tbsp olive oilSea saltJuice and finely grated zest of ½ lemon, plus 2 lemon slices180g linguine 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated1 tsp chilli flakes1 large courgette, trimmed and coarsely grated10g fresh dill, roughly chopped 4 tbsp pine nuts, or 4 tbsp omega nut and seed mixHeat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6
Tour de France 2025: stage-by-stage guide to this year’s race
NRLW’s growing maturity shows in players unafraid to defy expectations | Megan Maurice
Talisman Stokes at Edgbaston evokes Flintoff’s 2005 impact – but he is due a score
Coco Gauff knocked out of Wimbledon in first round by nerveless Dayana Yastremska
The Spin | ‘Unlike any cricket ground in the UK’: the London oasis every player should visit
Raducanu to lean on Wimbledon support network for tough Vondrousova showdown