There is a growing concern about inconsistency, inefficiency, and legal risk in how sensitive material was redacted and shared between police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Different forces were using a mix of manual methods and bespoke tools, leading to duplication of effort, unclear audit trails, and increased legal exposure. The challenge was to establish a consistent, legally robust, and efficient approach to redaction across England and Wales.

BlueprintCo led a comprehensive review of redaction practices, technologies, and workflows across policing and prosecution. We engaged operational, technical, and policy stakeholders to map the end-to-end process, identify key pain points, and assess where technology and process change could deliver improvement.

Through structured analysis, we developed clear, evidence-based recommendations covering national guidance, tooling standardisation, and interoperability between police and CPS systems. Our approach combined practical operational insight with policy-level understanding to ensure realistic, scalable change.

The commission delivered a set of national recommendations that are now shaping how redacted materials are exchanged between forces and the CPS. Our work helped to:

- Reduce duplication and manual effort across agencies.

- Strengthen legal compliance and evidential integrity.

- Establish a foundation for standardised tooling, training, and governance across the justice system.

By providing clarity and consistency, the project has improved both operational efficiency and public confidence in how sensitive data is handled within the criminal justice process.