The Digital Courtroom: Reducing the need to transport prisoners

A state-of-the-art digital court room has been installed at HMP Peterborough, reducing the need to transport individuals from the prison for court appearances.

The video conference centre (VCC), completed in partnership with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), faithfully recreates the appearance of a court within the prison to encourage the behaviour expected when appearing in front of a judge.

The nature of HMP Peterborough’s male prison population is changing to have an increased emphasis on remand and resettlement, leading to a greater number of male residents who will be required to appear in court. Using the VCC facilities will reduce the number of people who need to physically attend court, thereby reducing the need for off-site escorting and the time residents spend on vehicles. It will also enable residents to remain engaged in the prison’s regime while still attending court hearings, helping to create more stability.

The 14-week project began in late October 2018 with a ‘go live’ date of 1 April 2019, and encompassed a full restructure, reconfiguration and technological upgrade of the existing facilities. The equipment installed in the VCC far exceeds the quality of the previous ‘prison to court video link’ (PCVL) technology and the number of available court rooms has increased significantly. By providing excellent acoustics it helps to ensure that information is both conveyed and received effectively, vastly improving the service provided to the courts.

The new facility, which includes designated areas for court hearings and legal services, has the capability to link to multiple courts at one time, ensuring efficiency. There are now ten VCC enabled rooms for courts, pre-courts and legal services.

In addition, a dedicated room for Connections workers (resident peer support workers) has been installed within the facility, so residents can receive support and guidance straight after their court appearance. This can be invaluable when the outcome is different to that which the individual was anticipating, helping to manage their reaction and reduce the risks of either violent or self-harm responses.

“Reducing the number of people transported to court each day has both environmental and security benefits, cutting down on lengthy journeys and the negative impacts of confinement in a vehicle for many hours.  It should also provide some victims of crime with peace of mind, knowing that they won’t need to see the perpetrator of the crime committed against them face to face.”

HHJ David Farrell QC, Resident Judge of Cambridgeshire, HMPPS

A new operations suite was installed as part of the project, linked to both the VCC technology and CCTV within the area. This will enable staff to monitor both court activity and resident behaviour within the centre, ensuring a swift response when required.

HMP Peterborough is the first private prison to complete the new VCC, both on time and within the planned budget.

“Our use of such facilities will grow as we serve courts in the Northamptonshire area, in addition to Cambridgeshire. The new centre will enable us to provide a much higher quality service to the courts, while reducing the need for transport.”

Damian Evans, Director of HMP Peterborough

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