- Almost 5000 offenders to wear alcohol tags over Christmas and
New Year
- Technology monitors the alcohol levels in offenders' system
around the clock
- Innovative tags helping tackle drink-fuelled crime to make
our streets safer
More offenders than ever before will be forced to stay sober this
festive season as part of the Government's Plan for Change to cut
alcohol-fuelled crime and make our streets safer.
Statistics published today (30 December) show 4,800 offenders
either released from prison or serving a community sentence will
wear an alcohol tag over Christmas and New Year.
The tags work 24/7 and quickly detect if an offender has been
drinking by analysing their sweat, meaning festive favourites
such as mulled wine and prosecco will be strictly off the menu.
If an offender dares to have a drink an alert is sent to their
probation officer who can take action to punish them, such as an
order to return to court or even prison.
The tags are accurate enough to distinguish between foods that
contain low-levels of alcohol – such as mince pies or Christmas
pudding – and boozier drinks that could lead to offenders getting
drunk.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice,
, said:
“Alcohol-driven crime causes real harm to victims and communities
and piles extra pressure on our emergency services. Tackling it
head-on is vital to make our streets safer.
“These tags act as a physical and constant reminder to offenders
that there's no room for slip-ups — one drink and they could find
themselves back in court or even behind bars.”
The technology is playing a significant role in the Government's
mission to take back our streets from alcohol-fuelled harm, which
the National Audit Office estimate costs the UK economy £21
billion a year.
Evidence is increasingly proving the effectiveness of tags, with
offenders banned from drinking alcohol staying sober for 97% of
the days they were tagged.
APCC Joint Leads on Addiction and Substance Misuse,
(Durham PCC) and (Dorset PCC) said:
“The link between alcohol and crime is well established, so
measures proven to suppress offenders' alcoholic intake, keeping
them sober and out of trouble, benefit them and their
communities.
“We want people to enjoy the festivities without fear. PCCs and
Deputy Mayors are working year-round with our partners within and
beyond policing to prevent alcohol-related crime to build safer
communities that can thrive and these tags play a vital role in
that.”
A study published in August showed that thieves and burglars who
were GPS tagged as part of an innovative pilot were around 20%
less likely to reoffend.
Other evidence shows offenders fitted with curfew tags, which
keep them at home during certain hours, are also 20% less likely
to reoffend.
Tagging will be ramped up even further as part of the
Government's sentencing reforms, with the annual probation budget
increased by up to £700 million by 2028, to tag tens of thousands
more offenders.
We are also investing £8 million in a tech drive to make our
streets safer, including AI tools such as a new automatic
transcription service that are expected to save around 240,000
days of staff time each year.
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