Robots, skin tags and AI: ministers met big tech to sketch out 'justice in 2050'

Tracking devices inserted under offenders' skin, robots assigned to contain prisoners and driverless vehicles used to transport them are among the measures proposed by technology companies to ministers, who are gathering ideas to tackle the crisis in the justice system.

- Robert Booth

The proposals were made at a meeting of more than two dozen tech firms in London last month, chaired by the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, minutes seen by the Guardian show. Amid an acute shortage of prison places, ministers told the companies they wanted ideas for using wearable technology, behaviour monitoring and geolocation to create a "prison outside of prison".

Representatives were present from Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Palantir, which has contracts with the NHS. IBM and the private prison operator Serco also attended, alongside tagging and biometric companies, according to a response to a freedom of information request.