Unilink Launches Strategic AI Research Partnership with Warwick University to Advance Justice Innovation

Unilink, the UK’s leading provider of secure digital solutions for the justice sector, has announced a new research partnership with the University of Warwick, led by Professor Theo Damoulas and a specialist academic team.

The collaboration will examine how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can be used to analyse justice system data, to improve safety, rehabilitation outcomes and operational decision-making in prisons and probation services.

Launched in July 2025, the project embeds a research team that includes an academic team from Warwick, combined with subject matter expertise from Unilink. The team will focus on practical, real-world applications of AI, with an emphasis on insights that can inform frontline operations.

Francis Toye, CEO of Unilink, said: “This partnership represents a significant step forward in our mission to deliver digital solutions that genuinely improve lives. We’ve long believed the justice sector deserves access to the same kind of ethical, high-impact innovation seen in health and education, and this project lets us apply AI in a way that’s both technically advanced and socially responsible and also represents a superb collaboration between business and academia.”

The research will focus on three core objectives. First, it will apply AI to identify behavioural trends in custody environments, helping staff target interventions and programmes more effectively. Second, it will investigate how predictive modelling can support early intervention, allowing staff to identify and respond to potential risks of violence and self-harm at an earlier stage. Finally, the project will explore how ethical and explainable AI models can be developed for use in justice, ensuring transparency and accountability remain central.

Professor Theo Damoulas from the University of Warwick said: “I am genuinely delighted to be supporting this initiative with Unilink and our machine learning teams and we are hopeful that we can make a positive contribution to the application of AI for improving the operation of Justice in the UK and worldwide.”

The collaboration builds on Unilink’s established work in justice software and reflects its broader evolution into a strategic innovation partner for the public sector. It also supports the company’s broader goals of ethical AI deployment, digital inclusion and improving rehabilitation outcomes through evidence-led technology.

The findings from the collaboration will be shared with the wider justice, academic and public policy communities, contributing to ongoing discussions about the appropriate and ethical use of AI in public services.