- Offenders to be fitted with innovative
tags that measure alcohol intake 24/7
· Drinking expected to soar as fans tune in
to football games from pubs and at home
- Tags help to protect our streets from £21
billion cost of booze-fuelled crime
Streets will be safer as thousands of offenders
are to be banned from drinking alcohol during
the World Cup this summer as part of the
Government's commitment to cut booze-fuelled
crime.
Statistics show that around 7,300
criminals either released from prison or
serving a community sentence will be
forced to wear alcohol tags at some
point during the tournament.
The innovative tags work around the clock and quickly detect if
an offender has been drinking by analysing their sweat. 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 those simply soaking up the
atmosphere at pubs and fan
zones where alcohol is present, and
those risking a red card
by actively drinking.
The move comes as police forces and local authorities prepare for
increased demand during the tournament,
with alcohol often linked to incidents of
violence, anti-social behaviour and disorder around
major football fixtures.
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.
Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending
Minister
said:
Major sporting events should be a time for the country
to come together and enjoy the game, not
for alcohol-fuelled violence and disorder to ruin
the occasion.
Having this tech fixed around the ankle is the
wake-up call to offenders and leaves them with the
sobering thought that one slip-up could send
them to jail.
New tagging technology is a critical tool in
our efforts to punish offenders, cut reoffending
and keep the public safe, and the evidence is increasingly
proving its effectiveness.
Offenders who are banned from consuming alcohol by the
courts have remained sober for 97% of the days they have
been tagged since the technology was first rolled out in
2020.
They monitor alcohol bans for offenders on community
sentences handed down by judges or magistrates and can also be
used as a licence condition for prison leavers. Roughly
20% of those supervised by probation are classified as
having a drinking problem.
APCC Joint Leads on Addictions and Substance Misuse,
(Dorset
PCC) and (Durham
PCC), said:
The World Cup unites the nation, and we
want to see football fans who usually support rival
clubs celebrating together - including with a drink if that
is their choice. However, alcohol fuels crime and
anti-social behaviour, and evidence shows violence spikes around
major sports events.
Police and Crime Commissioners and Deputy Mayors back the use
of alcohol tags to monitor offenders and
incentivise them to stay away from crime as part of a
programme of measures to rehabilitate them
and reduce reoffending, keeping communities safe
from alcohol-related harm."
As part of the Government's action to make streets
safer, tens of thousands more criminals will be tagged over the
next three years as part of a major technology expansion.
The Government is also introducing, for the first time, a
presumption that all prison leavers will be tagged
on release as part of intensive supervision with the
Probation Service keeping a closer eye on offenders'
behaviour.
It is increasing probation funding by up to £700
million extra by 2028/29, including the recruitment of at
least 1,300 additional probation officers over the next
year. This will help deliver tougher, more effective
supervision of violent offenders and better protect the
public.
Further information:
- It is expected that around 7,300 offenders will wear
an alcohol tag at some point during
the World Cup, with around 5,000 already fitted with a
tag when the tournament started and a further 2,300
expected to receive new orders.
- This is based on the average daily rate of new
start Alcohol Monitoring orders, extrapolated for the
duration of the World Cup.
- Statistics show offenders on community orders are complying
with alcohol bans for 97% of the time
- The Crime Survey indicated that 39% of victims
of serious offences believed that alcohol played a
factor in the incident
- Statistics show that around 20% of offenders managed in
the community by the Probation Service had an identified
alcohol need
