Facewatch tech selected for UK prison service facial recognition trial

Dec 11, 2018, 1:29 pm EST | Stephen Mayhew

Facewatch announced that its biometric technology has been selected by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) for a facial recognition pilot project to verify and validate visitors accessing HMPPS.

“After a very thorough process taking over 12 months, we are pleased to have been chosen to trial our biometric technology at a HMP site in the UK,” commented Nick Fisher, Facewatch CEO. “Using our latest facial recognition software in a controlled environment, wardens will be able to identify and verify visitors identification instantly.”

Accessing a prison as a visitor can be a time consuming administrative process because most prisons still operate paper-based systems, Fisher explained. The Facewatch platform enrolls visitors digitally in less than a minute and for all subsequent visits, they are verified instantly using facial recognition technology. Facewatch real time sharing of visitors’ faces and data can be accessed across all UK prisons.

Fisher added that “the efficiencies in time, combined with the accuracy of visitor identity will deliver a positive experience for both the visitor and HMP.”

London Metropolitan Police Chief Cressida Dick recently said that the force’s attempts to use facial recognition on CCTV cameras were being hindered by a complex legal and regulatory environment.