Government spending of approximately £7.6 million on mobile phones and computers for employees at the Crown Prosecution Service.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) shelled out an impressive £52 million on technology, splurging nearly £7 million on laptops and over £600,000 on mobile phones for their staff, raising alarms about potential data breaches.
According to an Freedom of Information request, Parliament Street revealed that the CPS has doled out 4,648 laptops and 2,671 mobile phones to its employees over the last three years. These devices aren't cheap, with the average laptop costing £1,483, and phones going for £233 apiece.
With over 7,000 staff members across England and Wales, the CPS's budget for 2023-24 stands at a hefty £681.6 million. But with great power comes great responsibility, and according to tech expert, Arkadiy Ukolov, "For every device handed out, organizations like the CPS must maintain oversight over how they're being used."
The legal sector is no stranger to sensitive data, which requires secure encryption and compliance. Andy Ward, senior vice president of Absolute Security, echoed Ukolov's sentiments, stating that "more devices mean more risk." He noted that robust cybersecurity measures should be in place not just to prevent but also to respond promptly and efficiently in the event of a breach.
This news comes after M&S's online orders were down all week due to a 'cyber incident' on Tuesday, and Co-op shutting down parts of its IT systems due to a hack attempt this week. However, the CPS assures that their employees receive regular and mandatory cybersecurity and data protection training.
The hefty tech bill comes after civil servants were encouraged (and in some departments ordered) to return to the office, with a 60% in-person attendance target. This decree was met with backlash, leading to 4,000 industrial actions being initiated in January.
Commenting on the FOI data, Patrick Sullivan, CEO of Parliament Street, suggested that the government's 60% office working target should be reconsidered. However, the CPS maintains that their staff require an array of equipment to serve the public effectively. Last year, they prosecuted 419,401 people, securing convictions in 83% of cases.
Amidst this technological investment, the criminal justice system is under immense strain, with endless case backlogs and overcrowded prisons. The problem is linked to a dwindling number of prosecutors, as many criminal barristers exit the profession due to low salaries. The UK government, however, has made repairing the justice system a priority, promising an extra £2.3 billion for prison expansion in the Autumn Budget.
Sources:1. Technology and Modernisation Fund - Crown Prosecution Service2. Baroness Newlove calls for more funding for victim support volunteers - The Law Society Gazette3. Tyler Technologies agrees to pay Ill. $13.5m to settle lawsuit over slow rollout of police software - AP News4. £2.3bn prison expansion: What the Autumn Budget announcements mean for criminal justice system - The Guardian5. Tyler Technologies' troubled rollout in Illinois shows why digital transformation isn’t as simple as buying software - Business Insider
- The large sum of money spent by the CPS on technology, particularly devices like laptops and mobile phones, has raised concerns about potential data breaches, as highlighted by tech expert, Arkadiy Ukolov.
- Barristers have been gradually exiting the criminal justice system due to low salaries, which could further strain an already overburdened system that is grappling with case backlogs and overcrowded prisons.
- Amidst the ongoing technological investments, the government has promised an extra £2.3 billion for prison expansion, as part of their priority to repair the justice system, as reported in The Guardian.
- In response to the hefty tech bill, Patrick Sullivan, CEO of Parliament Street, proposed reconsidering the government's 60% office working target, suggesting that remote work could be a more cost-effective solution for some departments.
