Data, Decisions And Protecting the Public: How Better Data Is Transforming Probation | Hosted by Version 1

Probation sits at the sharp end of criminal justice reform. With prisons under sustained pressure, the probation service carries growing responsibility for keeping communities safe while genuinely supporting people to rebuild their lives. Getting that balance right depends, more than anything, on data; the right information, in the right hands, at the right moment.

Sumitra Varma, Deputy Director of Probation and Electronic Monitoring Data at the Ministry of Justice, leads the data science, data engineering and data quality management capability that sits behind some of the most consequential decisions in the justice system, from frontline risk assessment to electronic monitoring and probation interventions to reduce reoffending. In this fireside chat, she will be joined by Dimitris Perdikou, Digital Advisor at Version 1 (formerly Chief Engineer at DSIT) and Brian Hodgson, Justice Sector Lead at Version 1, to explore how data and technology are changing what is possible in probation practice. From the quality of information available to frontline practitioners using AI assisted search tools, to risk assessment, to the data insights generated by electronic monitoring, our conversation will examine where the biggest opportunities lie, and what still needs to change.