Explicitly define the prison-api project's Open Source Contribution policy

[deduper]

I'm on a non-ministryofjustice team. Our project will be consuming resources from the prison-api.

My job is to report to my team, answers to these questions:

1. Is contributing to the prison-api project closed to non-ministryofjustice developers?
2. If contributing to the prison-api project is not closed, what are the prerequisites for being allowed to contribute?
3. Under what license are ministryofjustice projects in general (prison-api specifically) open sourced?
4. In what sense of „open source" should ministryofjustice projects be thought of from a third-party project's perspective?

The Open Source Initiative mentions the word „license“ in nine of the ten numbered parts of its Open Source Definition:

1. Free Redistribution
   The license shall not restrict any party...

2. Source Code
   [not mentioned]

3. Derived Works
   The license must allow modifications and derived works...

4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code
   The license may restrict source-code from being distributed in modified form only if...

5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
   The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons...

6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
   The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific field...

7. Distribution of License
   ...redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license...

8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product
   ...within the terms of the program's license...

9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software
   The license must not place restrictions on other software...

10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral
    No provision of the license may be predicated on any individual technology or style of interface...

However, the prison-api project doesn't have a license included or mentioned anywhere in it. My team and I are curious to understand what that means from a practical standpoint.

[petergphillips]

Good question, will need to find out and get back to you.

[deduper]

„...Good question...“

Thank you @petergphillips. I'm sure you noticed. So forgive me for being pedantic. There are four question-s :)

[petergphillips]

We follow the technical guidance as specified in https://ministryofjustice.github.io/technical-guidance/#moj-technical-guidance. Unfortunately I can't find reference to an open source contribution policy there so will have to investigate further.

In the meantime it would be helpful to know what team you are working for, what you would like to contribute and what resources you are intending to consume.