Research and analysis

Use and operation of counter-terrorism polygraph examination

Findings from a process evaluation exploring the use and operation of the counter-terrorism polygraph examination licence condition.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Details

The Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 introduced a licence condition for mandatory polygraph examinations which could be used for eligible people on probation who have been convicted of a relevant terrorist offence. In passing the Act. The government made a commitment to undertake a review of the use and operation of the polygraph licence condition after 2 years. This review took the form of a process evaluation, with findings presented in this report.

The process evaluation aimed to understand:

  • Is the policy operating as intended?
  • What are the views and experiences of stakeholders?
  • How is information from polygraph examinations being used?
  • What are the outcomes of polygraph examinations?

A mixed methods approach was taken, including obtaining the views and experiences of stakeholders via interviews, focus groups, survey, content analysis of polygraph reports, and capturing management information data.

Updates to this page

Published 19 October 2023

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