The intelligent system will watch the prisoners.Deputy Minister Romanowski: It is additional support for officers that will be financial compensation for lower positions in SW

Marta Rachwalska: The Ministry of Justice ordered the development of an intelligent decision support system based on algorithmic image analysis.Did it be influenced by the assessment of the highest control chamber, which wrote that from the security point of view, monitoring of places where prisoners stay, is one of the most serious problems of the prison service?

Marcin Romanowski, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Justice: The decision to launch the project was made long before the said report.We are aware of the fact that we are dealing with constant technological progress that cannot be ignored, but it must be used to reform justice.This progress accelerates in all areas of life and has a colossal impact on security - both personal and social.

We focus on using modern technologies in the area of justice.This does not apply only to broadly understood computerization at the level of courts, but also to develop various types of other tools for all institutions or justice services, in this case for the prison service subordinate to the Minister of Justice.Such a tool is the intelligent system that is to creatively supplement the current video supervision system.

Indeed, the report of the Supreme Audit Office of October 2020 indicated that such one of the most important problems of the Prison Service is - from the point of view of security - monitoring of places.It is indicated that it is necessary to replace analog cameras with IP cameras, because the existing ones are worn out and do not allow proper observation.The most important in the NIK report, in my opinion, is, however, that working in a monitor position requires a lot of focus, vigilance.Prisoners often skillfully mask suicide attempts.The Chamber and trade unions also pay attention to this, and here the full agreement that the work in this position is very tedious, in particular when we are also dealing with observation of communication routes or external areas of the unit.However, we have already noticed this problem some time ago.The project we are talking about has been going on for 18 months.Of course, R&D processes are long -lasting.Already in 2018, as part of a project implemented at the Institute of Justice, we developed its concept and a feasibility study.It was a project implemented with experts from the Stanford Research Institute or Massachusetts Institute of Technology, financed from the Justice Fund.Thanks to the effects of this project, we were able to apply to the National Center for Research and Development to be able to implement a project of an intelligent decision support system based on NCBR funds.

You can say that we are already halfway through.Therefore, work is underway, as I have already mentioned, a solution to the problem that we have already identified.In my opinion, it will greatly improve the work of the prison service officers - it will relieve those who deal with monitoring and at the same time increase effectiveness, without additional financial outlays.I will even risk the thesis that there will be no urgent replacement of analog cameras, because our system will also work on them.

How exactly will this solution work, this system?

The risk.There are also fights or other incidents between convicts.The number of assaults on officers is also increasing.These are real problems that occur the aforementioned weariness of the officers.The system we are talking about today, and which we presented in the prison in Chełm, is a prototype of an intelligent decision support system that is based on algorithmic image analysis.It is to support the operation of justice services in the process of making decisions by monitor in penitentiary units.

Currently, we have camera monitoring system in plants or penalties, which works based on the interpretation of the observer.To make a decision, he must first of all see the threat on the monitors, make the interpretation, qualifications and only affects his decisions.As a result of the discussed project, we will create a tool based on algorithmic image analysis, which will support the decision -making process of the officer and even with an increased number of cameras, it will allow - without having to increase the expenditure on additional monitor - faster and more effective identification of dangerous, unusual behavior.Consequently, this will restrict their occurrence.

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The use of predictive mechanisms, i.e. algorithms, routine enabling identification of specific behaviors based on the analysis of the video stream, will increase the effectiveness of preventive effects.In this way, the monitor work in the prison service in the detection of such events will be supported.It will look as follows.The officer must currently follow the image from several to several cameras, he must be fully concentrated, he must not look away for a few seconds, which is very stressful.This uniform will be supported by an intelligent system, based on an intelligent algorithm, which reads the movements of the prisoner, i.e. this video stream and when there is an adverse situation - in a cell or in a communication - on the screen that the officer follows, the frame will immediately appearwith an incident notification and a sound signal.So we use here tools of autonomous threat detection.

The image from how many cameras will be able to monitor in a continuous and coordinated way?

There are usually several hundred cameras in prisons and the system is able to fully operate them as much as possible.Of course, we anticipate that the position of the monitoring officer will be, as before, in individual prisons or detention centers, so from the organizational and storage point of view nothing will change.However, the system will be enabled, which we talk about to additionally support officers.

Will the prototype be tested from then by this unit presented today in the Penitentiary Institution in Chełm?There will be rehearsals under real conditions?

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The project started 18 months ago.By the end of this year, we plan to end the stage of industrial research on the device, and for the next 12 months, i.e. by the end of 2022, we will conduct development works already at the prison in Chełm in order to clarify the tool itself, documentation.

It is indeed the case that the officers of the Prison Service from the Lublin District, because here we implement this program, they will test the device as part of the pilot.The solution we presented on June 30 in Chełm is not of course ready, it is not intended for the production stage.However, we can already present them - unfortunately, unfortunately, because it is a security and defense project (NCBR program -.red.), so we have a certain information regime, which is understandable in these research areas.After the presentation, however, it can be said that this is a prototype close to perfection.

When does the ministry estimate that it will be possible to start introducing this solution in other closed units?According to the minister's response, at the beginning of 2023.

Exactly.Work on the project follow the plan.I am happy with what is presented at individual stages and I assume that the contractors will keep the schedule and at the end of 2022 we will actually have a ready tool that can be implemented.

To what extent does the Ministry estimate the costs of introducing a ready system in the prison service units?

The costs of introducing it in the prison service will be minimal.It is several thousand zlotys when it comes to producing a tool for individual penitentiary units.It will simply rely on the current system.I would risk the thesis that the introduction of this solution will reduce the costs, because we will not have to change the analog cameras to IP so quickly, which I mentioned earlier.The device will support work, and it will also be able to function on such a video stream from analog cameras without problems.

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However, the cost of developing this solution is just over PLN 6 million, from funds obtained from the National Research and Development Center.

The monitor, as trade unionists informed, found themselves under additional observation this year, in connection with the number of suicides, which increased in the first months of 2021.These events, according to what the minister says, did not affect the acceleration of work on the decision support system.

The work goes as planned.He is tight.Some things must last and cannot be accelerated.We work at a quick pace, but we can not skip any stages, because we really want this system to be really refined.Developing, algorithmization of these identified, noticed from recordings of dangerous behavior must be carried out carefully, in order to identify the maximum many unusual behavior that we want to recognize under the system.For many circumstances, these types of behavior must be specially identified.For example, a woman's motor is different, a different man, different behaviors are in a cell, different in the corridor, and others on a walking machine.This of course must last, but we work efficiently.I am very happy with our cooperation with experts from the Warsaw University of Technology.I am convinced that we will keep the schedule.

Are there other work on solutions that are to facilitate the service of officers of the formation subordinate to the Ministry of Justice?

I can only say that we see the importance of technological progress of solutions in terms of safety and in the field of these R&D projects, in particular in the field of security and defense.A lot of new projects are at the stage of consultation with the NCBR.I hope that they will be launched, in order to use this technological progress in the service of justice, to improve work and of course facilitate access to this broadly understood justice system, ensure the safety of the prison and prison officers.For now, I can only say that there are still a few interesting projects.And that cooperation with the center is really efficient and fruitful.

thank you for the conversation.