Ministry of Justice: Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD)

The BOLD programme

Government is aresponsible cross-publicfor sectorsupporting partnershippeople whichwith strivesmultiple tocomplex improveneeds outcomessuch foras society,those currentlywho supportingare homeless, victims of crime, and offenders. Often this is difficult because information about the challenges those individuals face is held across different government departments and administrations and not frequently shared. Services for these vulnerable individuals,people are often provided by separate organisations and, because data is not regularly shared, these organisations cannot access sufficient information about what interventions work.

The Ministry of Justice led BOLD programme has been created to improve the support that people with complex needs throughreceive by linking and improving the powergovernment data held on them in a safe and secure way. BOLD has so far focused on reducing homelessness, supporting victims of data.crime, reducing substance misuse, and reducing reoffending.

TheData BOLDused partnershipin the programme

The publicprogramme sectoruses gathersstrictly ade-identified largedata amountfrom the Ministry of dataJustice, toDepartment improveof servicesHealth offeredand toSocial Care, the public,Ministry yetof aHousing, lackCommunities ofand interoperabilityLocal betweenGovernment, organisationsPublic limitsHeath understandingWales, ofDepartment whetherfor theseEducation, police forces, and the Welsh Government, linking this data to improve the services arethat effectiveeach inof athese holisticorganisations provide. Our partnership and systemicprogramme way.builds Theon BOLDlearning Partnershipfrom improvesother governmentinitiatives interconnectivitysuch toas unblockAdministrative specificData systemResearch issues.(ADR) TheUK. Partnership BOLD utiliseshas domainproduced expertisea acrossnumber departments,of appliesimportant beststatistical practice,publications providesbased adviceoff onlinked approaches,datasets and unearthshas opportunitiesalso brought datasets together to collaboratecreate onoperational HMGtools. wideIn objectives.this Thisway, enablesBOLD policymakershas helped improve nationwide services and operationalsupport staffvulnerable people.

BOLD currently consists of 4 data and analysis pilot projects, each aiming to haveprovide better qualitydata evidence and toolsevidence to support vulnerablepolicy and the design of more effective services to people with multiple complex needs.

Reducing homelessness

We know that those who are homeless or sleeping rough often have a variety of support needs, whilstmost aimingcommonly mental and physical-health needs, drug or alcohol dependency and offending histories. The Homelessness Pilot project aims to drivebetter efficiencyunderstand why some people repeatedly become homeless, which services are most effective in preventing prison leavers from becoming homeless (and thereby decreasing their chances of reoffending), and productivity.what role drug treatment services can play in preventing homelessness.

TheOne Partnershipof isthe amajor successorchallenges to,to andimproving buildsthe uponnationwide theprovision workof of,homelessness support is the Betterlack Outcomesof throughdata. LinkedThis Datameans (BOLD)there Programmeis little evidence on which builtinterventions innovativeare capabilitymost andlikely infrastructureto inimprove people’s chances of moving into secure accommodation or finding employment. This data sharing,is often held by local authorities, but there are often legal and logistical challenges around sharing this data. The BOLD Homelessness pilot team have produced a report examining the barriers that local councils face when sharing data. You can access this report here: Barriers to data linking,sharing analyticalbetween insights,MHCLG research,and AI,local councils Barriers to data sharing between MHCLG and collaborativelocal working.councils

The pilot has also now published a report on Repeat Homelessness. The Partnershipreport collaborativelyis operatesa acrossstatistical Ministryanalysis of Justicerepeat (MoJ),homelessness, Ministryaiming ofto Housing,help Communitiesin identifying and Localunderstanding Governmentthose (MHCLG),who Departmenthave become repeatedly homeless. The report required creation of Healtha linked data asset, bringing together the Homelessness Case Level Information Collection (H-CLIC) and Socialpersonal Careinformation (DHSC),gathered Welshfrom Governmentlocal (WG),authorities. YouthThrough Justicethis Boardlinked (YJB),data, NHSMHCLG England,analysts Hiswere Majesty’sable Prisonto &identify Probationsubstantially Services,more Localhouseholds Authoritiesthat andexperienced thirdrepeat sectorhomelessness organisationsthan acrossthe Englandoriginal data, alongside key characteristics such as demographics, additional support needs and Wales.time spent in temporary accommodation.

Supporting victims of crime

36% of Victims report dissatisfaction with the way the Criminal Justice System (CJS) handled their case, with 32% of reported criminal cases dropped due to victims disengaging from an investigation or prosecution, with this figure having risen every year since 2014. The BOLDVictim PartnershipPathways Pilot project aims to scalebetter understand how government and enhancethird itssector capabilityservices tocan most effectively support Government.victims Theof Partnershipcrime willto amplifycope workand cross-government,recover encourageand collaborationto acrossconfidently departments,seek andjustice. actThe asultimate angoal inter-departmentalis advisoryto serviceuse andthis providesevidence to improve victims’ experience of the environmentcriminal justice system and conditionssupport forthem crossto organisationalachieve designa andpositive delivery.justice outcome.

The Partnershipsvictims focuspilot forteam produced a report called: An adult-survivors journey through a sexual violence support service in Essex’. This report examines data held by rape support services: looking into the nextvictim-survivor threejourney, yearswhether it is possible to bolsterassess datathe sharingservices victim-survivors need, and datathe linkingplausibility andof progressusing keythis governmentdata prioritiesto inunderstand Youthwhy Justice,victim-survivors Healthoften anddisengage Prevention.from the support service.

TheReducing storysubstance so farmisuse

TheIn BOLD2024, Programmethe hascosts demonstratedof aalcohol strongharm trackto recordsociety ofwas deliveryestimated at £27.44 billion for England, and £800 million for Wales each year, The illicit drugs trade costs society over the£19 lastbillion 5a years,year having(based builton transformativea technology2019 report) and developeddrug howdeaths governmentremain utiliseshigh. data.Those Thewithout BOLDstable programmeaccommodation has:

• Completedor 36employment datasupport linkingcan projects
• Collaboratedstruggle withto 16access organisations
• Createdand 22stay linkedin datatreatment. assets
• DeliveredThe aSubstance nationalMisuse showcasePilot withproject overaims 250to participants
• Publishedbetter 19understand reportswhat underfactors fourdrive keysuccessful themes:rehabilitations Reducingfrom Reoffending,addiction Supportingfor Victims,particular Substancegroups, Misuse,such andas Homelessness
• BOLDprison hasleavers reducedor long-termrough costssleepers. byThe closingpilot keyteam is exploring how it can use data and evidence gapsto inimprove theselife areas,outcomes for people receiving substance abuse treatment, through improving policymaking,the developingassessment innovativeof digitaladditional tools,needs andwhere transformingindividuals end-to-endcome services.

BOLDinto iscontact recognisedwith acrossany government asservice. aAs centrepart forof excellencethis andpilot, hasWelsh receivedGovernment multipleaim awards,to including;ensure that challenges unique to Wales are also addressed.

• Highly

  The Commendedpilot athas now published the British‘Pathways Databetween Awardsprobation 2024and foraddiction “Datatreatment forin GoodEngland’ Initiativereport, oflinking community sentence treatment requirements (alcohol and drug rehabilitation) with treatment services. This report is a joint experimental statistics publication from the Year”

• CivilMinistry Serviceof AwardsJustice 2025and Winnerthe Office for “ExcellenceHealth Improvement and Delivery”
• ADisparities, winningwhich partneris inpart of the CivilDepartment Serviceof AwardsHealth 2025and “InnovatorSocial Award”
• WinningCare. theThe Analysisreport infocuses Governmenton 2026offenders “Innovationsentenced Award”

Exampleto use-casesan throughalcohol treatment requirement or a drug rehabilitation requirement. It aimed to assess if the BOLDpathways Programme

Alcoholbetween Treatmentprobation Requirementsand specialist alcohol and Drugdrug Rehabilitationtreatment Requirements

services are operating effectively, and to describe the treatment outcomes.

LinkingThe datapilot betweenhas MoJsupported the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and DHSC,Safety gavein newMental insightsHealth that(NCISH), aroundbased 60%at the University of offendersManchester, into investigate the communityfactors associated with asuicide courtby orderpeople toaccessing attenddrug alcohol/drugand alcohol treatment didservices. notTheir appearreport Suicide toby dopeople so.in BOLDcontact researchedwith requirementsdrug and alcohol services: a national study 2021 to influence2022 is systemnow change.available. SeveralThe policypilot andteam operationalwas changesresponsible havefor beenlinking initiated.

Childrendata on suicides with the English National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS). The team also determined a parentcontrol group who had been in prison

BOLDcontact linkedwith Justicedrug and Benefitsalcohol dataservices whichin identifiedthe 193,000previous childrenyear withbut adid parentnot indie. prison.NCISH Thissought figureserious wasincident usedreports tointo informthe deaths conducted by the restrictiondrug and alcohol treatment services at the time of parentalthe responsibilitysuicide. Similar work was conducted by Digital Health and Care Wales to link with the Welsh National Database for Substance Misuse. Taken together, the report found that 8% of childthe sex5,720 abusedeaths offences.by Understandingsuicide registered in England and Wales between 1st October 2021 and 30th September 2022 had accessed drug or alcohol treatment in the 12 months prior to death. In England, this grouprepresents better119.2 meansdeaths theyregistered areper now100,000 beingin targetedtreatment, bymore MoJthan 10 times that of the general population (10.1 per 100,000). The study also reports clinical risk factors that may inform suicide prevention and DfEstrategies throughand anmakes earlyrecommendations supportfor system.improving safety for people under the care of treatment services.

Laurium

BOLDA developedsecond anreport award-winninghas Pythonnow packagebeen (Laurium)published forby extractingthe structuredpilot datalooking frominto textwhether there is an association between drug or alcohol dependence and generatingthe syntheticrisk dataof usingdying languageby models.or Organisationscommitting collecthomicide Drug vastand amountsalcohol treatment for victims and suspects of freehomicide text- dataGOV.UK containing(www.gov.uk) This untappedreport informationcontains thatofficial couldstatistics under development which provide decisionfor makersthe first time, linking the Homicide Index dataset with valuablespecialist insights.addiction Lauriumtreatment addressesservices thisdatabase by(NDTMS) providingof toolsthe Homicide Office and Office for convertingHealth unstructuredImprovement textand intoDisparities. structuredThe data usinglinkage Largeexplores Languagethe Models.use Throughof promptsubstance engineering,misuse theservices packageby canvictims beand adaptedsuspects toof differenthomicide. useWe casesidentified 3% of victims and data11% extractionof requirements,suspects unlockingwho were in the valuehomicide hiddenindex inas texthaving data.a treatment record in NDTMS.

Case

Probation Informationand Dashboard

reducing reoffending

TheWe Caseknow Informationthat Dashboardreoffending iscosts society approximately £22.7 billion per year (based on a tool2019 designedreport, adjusted to assist24/25 probationprices). officersTackling byreoffending consolidatingis criticalcrucial informationto fromreducing systemscrime, acrossreducing police,demand prison,on prison and probation services intoand aprotecting single,the accessiblepublic. platform.Our Itapproach hasto beentackling pilotedthis inissue oneis probationguided deliveryby unit.what Theresearch dashboardto-date providessuggests ais comprehensiveimportant viewin ofhelping casean informationindividual turn their back on crime, including accommodation, employment and decisions,education, enablingsubstance staffmisuse treatment and support to quicklydevelop accesstheir relevantpersonal details,skills understandand thebehaviours. contextThe behindBOLD previousProbation actions,and Reducing Reoffending workstream is supporting these aims by linking data held across and makebeyond better-informedgovernment decisions.to Thisbuild streamlinedanalysis approachand intendsproduce services which can support evidence-based decisions to enhancereduce efficiencyreoffending.

By bylinking reducingMinistry theof timeJustice spentprison searchingand forprobation information,data improvewith serviceHMRC userbenefits experience,records, and ensureusing consistentnatural informationlanguage acrossprocessing, the system.

Adult-SurvivorsReducing Journey

TheReoffending victimspilot teampublished producedfirst-of-its-kind aresearch reporton called:the Anestimates adult-survivorsof journeychildren throughwith a sexualparent violencein supportprison. serviceThis inresearch Essex.estimated Thisthat reportover examinesthe datacourse heldof a year, around 193,000 children are affected by rapea supportparent services:being lookingin, or going to, prison. Estimates of children with a parent in prison

The Reducing Reoffending workstream has also published new research into thecriminogenic victim-survivorneeds journey,of whetherprolific itoffenders islinking possiblecriminal tocourts assessand thenational servicespolice victim-survivorsdata need,with offender assessment data for England and Wales. It focuses on examining key differences in relation to the plausibilitytype, prevalence and severity of usingcriminogenic thisneeds databetween toprolific understandoffenders whyand victim-survivorsnon-prolific oftenoffenders disengageand fromhas fed into evidence for the supportIndependent service.Sentencing Review. Criminogenic needs of prolific offenders - GOV.UK

Repeat Homelessness

BOLDWe hashave also linked localprison authorityeducation data (c.50)for two specific groups of prison leavers with severalother cross-governmentsources including offender assessment data setsand toNational understandPupil Database (NPD) data from the prevalenceMinistry of Justice-Department for Education data share. This report provides additional insight into the educational needs and outcomesexperiences of homelessness.prisoners; Aroundwho 1participates in 3prison repeateducation; homelessnessand casesthe identifiedcourses bythey BOLDundertake: werePrison onlyeducation detectedin dueEngland: toEducational databackground linking.and Throughneeds prevention- andGOV.UK

Another intervention,product from this pilot is the Case Information Dashboard (CID): a 1%prototype reductiondigital indashboard homelessnessthat couldbrings savetogether theinformation governmentfrom upprobation, toprisons £30mand annually.police. The dashboard provides probation practitioners with an integrated view of individual data, thereby facilitating timely and effective decision-making.

Privacy is at the heart of BOLD’s design and ethos

BOLD is about using data and evidence to design better services for people.people, Givenbut given the volume, sensitivity and complexity of the data collected by government, weBOLD taketakes ourits responsibilities to proportionately and ethically handle this data very seriously, and commits itself to robust ethical standards. Find more information on how BOLD uses and keeps data safe, and how we are engaging the public to build trust pleasein see the document at the top of this page.

Engaging the public

Public trust and engagement are critical,critical for BOLD, and we committed to undertake extensive public engagement with those individuals whose data are being shared, and with the wider public.

BOLD has previously partnered with the Centre for Data Ethics & Innovation (CDEI), and the research company Britain Thinks, to undertake extensive engagement with affected groups, trusted intermediaries, and the general public. This included focus groups with the four cohorts of people BOLD is focused on (Victims, Offenders, Substance Misusers, and those experiencing Homelessness). The results of this exercise, and what we have learnt from listening to the public, informedwill tangibly inform the design of the BOLD programme and has been been published by the CDEI.CDEI.

Further Thisinformation, approachincluding andanalytical ethospublications iswill beingbe continuedpublished throughon thethis BOLDpage Partnership.

Getas inthey touch

Ifbecome youavailable. wouldA likelist toof hearthe moredatasets aboutthat ourBOLD workis orcurrently areusing interestedcan inbe joiningfound in the partnership,document please contact us at bold@justice.gov.uk

Publicationsthe producedtop byof BOLD

Linksthis topage, theand Publicationswill producedbe byregularly BOLDupdated canas bethe foundprogramme below.progresses.

Publications 

11/12/2025:11/12/2025 Better Outcomes through Linked Data: Links between homelessness and offending - GOV.UK - This report was produced by MHCLG in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), with the aim of linking together people in the statutory homelessness system with people in the prison and probation systems.systems. 

11/12/2025:11/12/2025 Better Outcomes through Linked Data: Rough sleeping and substance use treatment - GOV.UK - This report has been produced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Homelessness Pilot Team, in collaboration with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), as part of the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.

11/12/2025:11/12/2025 Better Outcomes through Linked Data: Local authority homelessness and rough sleeping data linking - GOV.UK - The research was conducted by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Cheshire West andCheshire West and Chester as a pilot study as part of the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme led by Ministry of Justice.

25/02/2025:17/04/2025 BetterThe Outcomesinterplay throughbetween Linkedchildren Data:looked Repeatafter homelessnessand reportsubstance -misuse: GOV.UKScoping  producedthe byuse BOLDof Homelessnessadministrative Pilot (MHCLG).

14/08/2023: Barriers to data sharing between DLUHC and local councils produced, produced by BOLD HomelessnessSubstance PilotMisuse (MHCLG),Wales SoftwirePilot, Ltd.

ReducingPublic reoffending

11/09/2025:Health PrisonWales, educationAdministrative inData England:Research EducationalWales, background,SAIL characteristics,Databank. andWelsh criminogenic needsVersion produced by BOLD Reducing Reoffending Pilot (MOJ)..

08/05/2025:17/04/2025 CriminogenicScoping needsand evaluation of prolificsynthetic offendersdata -to GOV.UKenhance access to data produced produced by BOLD ReducingSubstance ReoffendingMisuse PilotWales (MOJ).

18/07/2024: EstimatesPilot, ofPublic ChildrenHealth withWales, aAdministrative parentData inResearch prison producedWales, bySAIL BOLDDatabank. ReducingWelsh Reoffending Pilot (MOJ).Version.

Substance misuse

11/12/2025:31/03/25 HealthThe serviceinterplay usebetween andchildren mortalitylooked after prisonand releasesubstance andmisuse communityin supervision:Wales: Ascoping linkedthe datause studyof administrative data produced, produced by BOLD Substance Misuse Wales Pilot, Public Health Wales, Administrative Data Research Wales, SAIL Databank. Welsh Version.

17/04/2025: The26/03/2025 interplayDATA betweenEXPLAINED: childrenWelsh lookedNational afterDatabase andfor substanceSubstance misuse:Misuse Scoping(WNDSM) thedata usequality ofaudit administrativeand dataconsiderations, produced by BOLD Substance Misuse Wales Pilot, Public Health Wales, Administrative Data Research Wales, SAIL Databank. Databank. Welsh Versionversion.

17/04/2025: Scoping26/03/2025 Substance misuse, health service contact and evaluationrisk of syntheticmortality: A data tolinkage enhancestudy accessin to dataWales produced produced by BOLD Substance Misuse Wales Pilot, Public Health Wales, Administrative Data Research Wales, SAIL Databank. Databank. Welsh Versionversion. 

31/03/25:26/03/2025 TheLong-term interplayoutcomes betweenof childrenpeople lookedtreated afterfor and substance misuse in Wales:Wales scoping- theA usedata oflinkage administrative datastudy, produced by BOLD Substance Misuse Wales Pilot, Public Health Wales, Administrative Data Research Wales, SAIL Databank. Databank. Welsh Versionversion. 

26/03/2025: Maternal26/03/2025 Investigating the association between adult substance misuse-relatedmisuse foetaland anomalies:health Aand datacriminal linkagejustice studyoutcomes of children in Walesthe household produced produced by BOLD Substance Misuse Wales Pilot, Public Health Wales, Administrative Data Research Wales, SAIL Databank Databank. Welsh version

26/03/2025:26/03/2025 DataMaternal explained:substance Welshmisuse-related Nationalfoetal Databaseanomalies: forA Substance Misuse (WNDSM) data qualitylinkage auditstudy andin considerationsWales produced produced by BOLD Substance Misuse Wales Pilot, Public Health Wales, Administrative Data Research Wales, SAIL Databank. Databank. Welsh version 

26/03/2025: 26/03/2025 Potential opportunities to reduce the escalation of substance misuse: A retrospective observational data linkage study in Wales produced produced by BOLD Substance Misuse Wales Pilot, Public Health Wales, Administrative Data Research Wales, SAIL Databank. Databank. Welsh version 

25/02/2025:25/02/2025 Homelessness and substance misuse: impact on secondary healthcare in Wales produced produced by BOLD Substance Misuse Wales Pilot, Public Health Wales, Administrative Data Research Wales, SAIL Databank. Databank.

25/02/2025:25/02/2025 BOLD data insight publication aimed at the general public: homelessness and substance misuse: impact on secondary healthcare in Wales produced produced by BOLD Substance Misuse Wales Pilot, Public Health Wales, Administrative Data Research Wales, SAIL Databank. Databank.

25/02/2025: 25/02/2025 A video explainer: Study explores substance misuse, homelessness and health inequalities - ADR Wales produced produced by BOLD Substance Misuse Wales Pilot, Public Health Wales, Administrative Data Research Wales, SAIL Databank.

30/03/2024: 25/02/2025: Repeat homelessness report produced by BOLD Homelessness Pilot (MHCLG)

19/09/2024: An adult victim-survivor’s journey through a sexual violence support service in Essex, produced by BOLD Victims Pathway Pilot (MOJ).

18/07/2024: Estimates of Children with a parent in prison produced by BOLD Reducing Reoffending Pilot (MOJ).

30/03/2024: Pathways between probation and addiction treatment in England produced produced by BOLD Substance Misuse England Pilot (DHSC), Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

28/03/2024: 28/03/2024: Drug and alcohol treatment for victims and suspects of homicide: report produced produced by BOLD Substance Misuse England Pilot (DHSC), Home Office (HO), Office for Health Improvement (OHID).

01/02/2024: 01/02/2024: Suicide by people in contact with drug and alcohol services: a national study 2021 to 2022 produced produced by BOLD Substance Misuse England Pilot (DHSC), University of Manchester, National Confidential Enquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH).

Victims

19/09/2024: An14/08/2023: adultBarriers victim-survivor’sto journeydata throughsharing abetween sexualDLUHC violenceand supportlocal service in Essexcouncils, produced by BOLD VictimsHomelessness Pathway Pilot (MOJ).(MHCLG), Softwire Ltd.

Complex needs

23/03/2023: 23/03/2023: Improving lives through linked data: Views from groups with complex needs produced byproduced by Central BOLD team (MOJ), Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA), Thinks Insight & Strategy.

Further information, including analytical publications will be published on this page as they become available.