A new report by Audit Scotland has found that the limited compatibility of IT across Scotland’s criminal justice system means that some areas still rely heavily on paper-based transactions, creating room for error in duplication and a more costly process.
The report says that a lack of electronic working combined with poor sharing of information has caused significant problems. It highlights a pilot in Glasgow which found that relevant authorities were not aware that almost a third of the accused scheduled to appear in court were already in prison for a separate offence. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), which is responsible for calling the accused to court, did not know they were in prison, while the Scottish Prison Service did not know they were due in court.
The document states: ‘These systems were often incompatible and used different standards and definitions, which limited the electronic exchange of information’.
To tackle this problem the Scottish government is piloting a data hub to cross-reference the COPFS, court and prison information in Glasgow. It estimates that this will cost £150,000 to develop, but could produce a net return on investment to the entire criminal justice system after just five weeks.
The report also explains that lessons can be learned from local initiatives which have improved performance in processing cases through the court system more efficiently.
To view the report click here.