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R-1029 · registry record · verified 2026-10-10

OASys risk scores inform bail, sentencing and parole

Offender Assessment System (OASys) re-offending risk scoring, Ministry of Justice, England and Wales, 2001–present

Where
England and Wales, United Kingdom
When
2001–
System
Offender Assessment System (OASys)
Type of system
Rule-based risk scoring
Used by
UK Ministry of Justice / His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)
Domain
Criminal justice
Who was affected
Individuals and a wider group
People named
Not identified
Brought to light by
Parliamentary inquiry, 2025
Remedy
Partial

Summary

The UK Ministry of Justice has used OASys, an algorithmic risk-assessment system, to score prisoners and people on probation for re-offending risk since 2001, completing over 1,300 assessments a day. The scores inform bail, sentencing and parole decisions. Academics, prisoners and a House of Lords committee have raised concerns over racial bias, inaccurate data and the inability to challenge errors.

Sources

  1. UK: Over 1,300 people profiled daily by Ministry of Justice AI system to ‘predict’ re-offending riskStatewatch · Originating report
  2. Ministry of Justice — A compendium of research and analysis on the Offender Assessment System (OASys)UK Government (GOV.UK) · primary source
  3. Independent Sentencing Review 2024 to 2025: Call for Evidence - GOV.UKGOV.UK · primary source

Tags

Record

First collected
2026-04-15
Last verified
2026-10-10
Verified by
Checked by the author against the sources

Cite this record

The Witnessed Sentence (2026). R-1029: OASys risk scores inform bail, sentencing and parole. Registry record, verified 2026-10-10. https://witnessedsentence.org/registry/r-1029/

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