Justice system to obtain single view of offenders

The National Offender Management Service (Noms) is to implement a £39m system that will create a single view of convicted criminals as they move through the UK justice process.

The National Offender Management Information System (Nomis) is the first major investment in the ‘joined-up justice’ programme led by the Home Office’s Criminal Justice IT (CJIT) Unit. It will link the Prison and Probation Services and provide a single view of an offender – from court to custody to probation.

There will also be the potential for future links to police, courts and Crown Prosecution Service systems.

The system will build offender profiles by recording case management data as well as information on education and training, and alerts and risks. It will improve the consistency of offender assessment and allow officers to make more informed decisions, says its developer EDS.

The first test group will go live in July 2006 and it will be rolled out to all 77,000 users over the following 18 months.

The deal between EDS and Noms was signed under the supplier’s 12-year Quantum framework contract with the Prison Service. Under the terms of Quantum, all technology work undertaken by the Prison Service until 2012 will be done by EDS.

‘So far there has been a lot of talk from CJIT, but not much money being spent,’ said Ovum analyst Tola Sargeant. 

‘However, the new Nomis system is significant because it will mean criminal justice is beginning to get linked.’