How can apps be used to support desistance from crime & improve wellbeing?

As part of our Legal Innovation Lab Wales Summer Week of Events, on 22nd June 2021 we hosted the panel: How can apps be used to support desistance from crime & improve wellbeing?

At present, criminal justice agencies – both in the UK and internationally – do not fully realise the opportunities that digital technologies offer to improve service delivery and the lives of service users and their wider communities. To date, there has been little digital innovation within the realms of desistance-orientated work. The Covid pandemic has drawn attention to the need for criminal justice/support servicers to utilise digital technologies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of front-line service delivery and provide support online when face-to-face support is not possible.

The event focussed on the collaboration between Dr Gemma Morgan, Include UK and the Legal Innovation Lab Wales, which has resulted in the co-production of the ‘My Journey’ platform. My Journey is a bespoke and innovative platform that supports service users and organisations to support desistance from crime and improve wellbeing. The event discussed the strengths and opportunities of cross-sector and interdisciplinary working to develop innovative and evidence-based digital technologies. It also discussed the ethical and practical considerations of developing digital technologies.

Speakers:

• Dr Gemma Morgan, Department of Criminology, Swansea University

• Phil Reynolds, Lead Software Developer, Legal Innovation Lab Wales

• Mellissa Berry, Director/Hub Manager, Include UK

You can watch the video of the panel on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/pFdySGqzH7w