England: Prison leavers at risk of re-offending to have drinking monitored by electronic tags

Under the scheme, first piloted in Wales, probation officers will be able to keep a closer eye on offenders’ behaviour through the use of sobriety tags which monitor alcohol levels in sweat.

Alcohol is believed to play a part in 39 per cent of violent crime in the UK and roughly 20 per cent of offenders supervised by the Probation Service are identified as having drinking issues.

Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, justice secretary and lord chancellor, said: “We’ve seen that alcohol tags work – with tagged offenders complying 97 per cent of the time.

“That’s why we’re going to double the number wearing them from 900 to 1,900 over the next two years, focusing on those leaving prison on licence.

“This is a big step forward using the latest technology to cut the link between alcohol abuse and the crime – and make our streets safer.”

Since offenders were first tagged in 2020, they have been used on over 3,600 people in total. The latest statistics showed that 900 offenders were wearing the tag on 31 March 2020.

Probation minister Kit Malthouse said: “When I first brought alcohol tags to the UK over a decade ago, I knew that given the chance, they could have a huge impact on crime.

“The great results we have seen so far, and now the expansion announced this week, mean that the use of tagging technology is firmly embedded as a critical tool for offender managers, proving a huge incentive for offenders to change.

“The move is part of the government’s plan to cut crime, expanding the use of innovative technology like tags to protect the public and drive down reoffending.”