Business change is the key to joined-up justice

A secure email service allowing more effective communication across the criminal justice system (CJS) will be rolled out across England and Wales by the end of March 2004.

The project is the first stage of the £1.2bn Joined Up Justice programme co-ordinated by the government's CJIT (Criminal Justice Information Technology) organisation.

The seven independent agencies making up the CJS will be able to communicate electronically with each other and with external practitioners such as defence solicitors, barristers and support groups.

Implementation began in June, extending to all 42 UK criminal justice areas by the end of the year, and will be completed by the end of March, says CJIT.

The project is a business change programme focused on making best use of the technology, says secure email programme manager Gillian Heery.

'Though this is an IT programme, a significant element is the business change - we are very conscious that in the past IT has failed because it didn't address the business elements,' she said.

Extensive discussions with CJS agencies about what processes will benefit from secure email and which external practitioners should be connected is the first strand of the programme.

The second aspect is the roll out to external practitioners including law firms, barristers' chambers, voluntary organisations such as victims and witnesses' groups, bailiffs and prisoner escort services.

'We are now managing the process of connecting practitioners, which includes raising awareness of what the programme is, getting them connected and some training in areas such as security,' said Heery.

So far, 400 practitioners have been nominated to be connected, but the figure is growing daily, says Heery.

A five-year managed service contract with Cable & Wireless went live in September to cater for organisations without secure systems.