Probation Board of Northern Ireland

Client Profile

The Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) is as a Non-Departmental Public Body, within the Department of Justice. It is a central part of the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland and works to address the causes of offending and protects the public from harm caused by re-offending. The services it provides enables individuals to change their behaviour which in turn reduces the likelihood of reoffending, reduces the numbers of victims, and makes communities safer.

PBNI is responsible for the management of people on probation (those serving a community sentence or who have been released from prison subject to licence) and for preparing pre-sentence reports for judges and magistrates in the courts to enable them to choose the most appropriate sentence. Probation staff also work in prisons preparing people for release into the community and it provides an information service for victims of crime.

Challenges 

Operating within an evolving criminal justice system, PBNI faced several challenges. These included effectively managing an increasing caseload of people with complex needs, which involved handling extensive sensitive data on individuals who have offended, their progress, and interventions. Simultaneously staff were responsible for managing multiple cases, as well as collaborating with other agencies, including system’s integration with other criminal justice IT systems, such as court databases and police records, ensuring a comprehensive view of each individual’s history. Furthermore, it was crucial to generate reports on caseload statistics and outcomes to gain managerial insights into new trends in the caseload. Equally important was the need to protect sensitive and special category data from unauthorized access and potential data breaches.

Our Solution

Working together with PBNI, ITS has developed a cutting-edge digital solution to enhance and streamline its operations. This includes a robust case management system to efficiently organize and handle case data, encompassing individual’s details, progress reports, and intervention plans. Integration with other criminal justice agencies allows access to pertinent information and fosters seamless collaboration between different agencies. The system also has a powerful reporting tool, generating valuable insights on case load statistics, outcomes, and progress to facilitate decision-making and enable managers to dedicate resources where they are most needed. Additionally, automated workflows reduce manual tasks, mitigating the risk of human errors.

The Results

The introduction of the new solution has streamlined PBNI's case management, automated routine processes, and reduced manual tasks, resulting in increased overall efficiency. Improved data management enables staff to see developing trends, track progress and better understand the impact of actions which in turns leads to more informed decision-making. The integration with other criminal justice agency systems facilitates seamless communication and information sharing, promoting effective collaboration among stakeholders and the powerful reporting system generates detailed reports on case load statistics, outcomes, and progress, offering valuable insights for evidence-based decision-making. Confidentiality is paramount and the system’s robust security measures safeguard sensitive case data from unauthorized access and data breaches, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.

Conclusion

Overall, the IT system's benefits translate into a more efficient, collaborative, and data-driven approach to probation services, ultimately leading to better outcomes for both service users and the wider community.