European Standards on AI and the Nordic Smart Prisons (PID034)

9am – 9.45am ICT, 26 February 2025 ‐ 45 mins

Plenary Session

Finland and Sweden have both taken the challenge to digitalize certain services and processes in their prisons. Their digital strategies and concepts aim to support rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners and help staff with their processes and resources management. Finnish holistic Smart Prison concept has been widely studied and the benefits are promising. Sweden is about to start their transformative program Digi:Klient to adapt the enforcement content in relation to the ongoing capacity expansion. Both countries have also contributed to the first ever international recommendations regarding the ethical and organisational aspects of the use of Artificial Intelligence and related digital technologies by prison and probation services released by Council of Europe in 2024. The recommendations include 30 principles including (1) Basic principles, (2) Data protection and privacy, (3) Safety, security, and good order, (4) Offender management, risk assessment, rehabilitation, and reintegration, (5) Staff selection, management, training, and development, and (6) Research, development, evaluation, and regular revision. In this presentation these contributions and their impact on all European prison services are highlighted.