ICPA Highlights Human-Centred Digital Transformation at ICC Seminar

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Across these topics, a fundamental question connected the discussions: how can correctional institutions use technology to improve outcomes while protecting rights, safety and trust?

Contributing to the opening session on the governance of digitalisation in detention, Steven Van De Steene addressed Change Management and Good Governance of Technology. His contribution emphasised that digital transformation should begin with the change an institution needs to achieve, not with a product it wants to introduce.

That means identifying the problem, defining the intended benefit and understanding who will be affected before selecting a technical solution. In detention, where significant power imbalances shape everyday life, seemingly technical decisions can have lasting consequences for people’s autonomy, access to services and future opportunities. Good governance also requires institutions to ask whether a proposed technology should be introduced at all. Necessity, proportionality, equality and human-rights safeguards must be considered from the outset, alongside clear accountability for how systems are used and what they deliver.

The work of the ICC Detention Centre brings additional layers of sensitivity around the protection of witnesses, the integrity and confidentiality of ongoing investigations, information security and the management of highly sensitive communications. Technology therefore has to support access and humane detention conditions while simultaneously respecting exceptional security, judicial and evidential requirements.

Operating within an international judicial environment, it must balance humane detention conditions with demanding security, confidentiality and evidential requirements. Cybersecurity and resilience are particularly important where sophisticated threats could affect operational continuity or sensitive information. Communication presents another challenge: detainees’ families and legitimate contacts may be spread across countries with very different levels of connectivity, digital access and technical literacy. A service that works well in one setting may be inaccessible in another.

The protection of witnesses, the confidentiality of ongoing investigations and the management of highly sensitive communications add further complexity. These considerations illustrated why technology cannot simply be transferred from one jurisdiction to another without careful adaptation. Yet the lessons extend well beyond the ICC. As correctional systems become more digitally connected, institutions worldwide face related questions about secure communications, identity, access, data protection and resilience.

The discussions also highlighted the importance of reliable information as correctional systems adopt AI, analytics and data-driven decision-making. Poor-quality or biased data, unnecessary collection and unchallenged risk classifications can cause harm even when a system operates as designed. Human judgement and effective ways to identify and correct errors remain essential. Equally important is the involvement of frontline staff and people in custody. Responsible implementation requires engagement, co-design, capability-building and testing in real conditions, with user feedback informing improvements before systems are scaled. These themes were also reflected in the recently published UNODC–ICRC Handbook on the Use of Technology in Prison Settings, presented at the seminar by ICRC representatives and used as a reference point for ICPA’s contribution.

For ICPA, the seminar demonstrated the value of bringing different jurisdictions and professional perspectives into the same conversation. Although correctional systems operate in different legal and operational environments, many of their digital transformation challenges are shared. By connecting practitioners and sharing lessons across borders, ICPA helps move the discussion beyond individual technology projects towards responsible, human-centred change. The priority is not technology for its own sake, but better outcomes for correctional institutions, their staff and the people in their care.

On behalf of ICPA, we would like to thank Marc Dubuisson, Director of the Division of Judicial Services at the ICC Registry, for the invitation, for creating the space for such an open and substantive exchange, and for bringing together such a diverse group of expertise. Our heartfelt thanks all the ICC colleagues involved in organising and supporting the seminar.