Prison Service chief to rejuvenate failing IT systems

Martin Narey, the director-general of HM Prison Service, has admitted its IT system is not up to scratch.

At a conference organised by the Inside Out Trust in Huntercombe, UK, he said the systems are "antediluvian" but added they were set for a turnaround in the near future. "We're about to sign yet another contract which should vastly improve our service over the next one to two years," he said.

Narey is poised to sign a deal with EDS to provide the Prison Service with its first IT network - called Quantum - which will make prisoners' records electronic for the first time.

Clive Martin, who runs CLINKS - Prison Community Links - welcomed the move.
"Quantum sounds really great mainly because it means that records will be able to be transferred electronically. For things like screening tests for basic literacy and numeracy, it means prisoners won't have to go through these tests time and time again, which means staff time is saved and the whole system will be speeded up. People will be able to get onto programs better - and the quicker that happens, the better," he told Silicon.com.

Narey said the IT overhaul would mean more online content for the Prison Service's Web site and a mailing list for voluntary and outside organisations across the prison sector.

A HM Prison Service spokesman said officials were in the final stages of negotiations with EDS, and that a formal announcement was expected in the near future.