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Thousands of offenders in England and Wales will have their alcohol levels tracked over the new year festive period by electronic tags that monitor the wearer’s sweat.
The tags, which are now worn by 5,000 people who have been released from prison or who are serving a community sentence, are designed to keep criminals sober over the festive season and drive down drink-fuelled reoffending.
The deputy prime minister and secretary of state for justice, David Lammy, 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 tags work 24 hours a day, sending an alcohol alert to a probation officer who can take action such as ordering a return to court or prison.
The tags are accurate enough to distinguish between foods that contain low levels of alcohol – such as mince pies – and boozier drinks that could lead to offenders getting drunk.
The National Audit Office estimates that alcohol-fuelled crime costs the UK economy £21bn a year. Evidence has shown that the sobriety tags have been effective since their launch in 2021, with offenders who have been identified as having a problem with alcohol staying sober for 97% of the days they were tagged. Some offenders felt the tags helped them improve their lifestyle.
However, addiction services have warned that the sobriety tags may be risky for some people with alcohol addiction if they experience withdrawal symptoms, and do not tackle the root cause of the disease.
The Crime Survey has indicated that 39% of victims of serious offences believed alcohol was a factor in the incident, while other statistics show that about 20% of offenders managed in the community by the Probation Service had an identified “alcohol need”.
The Association Of Police And Crime Commissioners joint leads on addiction and substance misuse, Joy Allen (Durham PCC) and David Sidwick (Dorset PCC), noted that “the link between alcohol and crime is well established”, so measures proven to suppress offenders’ alcoholic intake would “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,” they said in a statement.
The government plans to ramp up tagging further as part of its sentencing changes, with the annual probation budget increased by up to £700m by 2028, to tag tens of thousands more offenders.
A study published in August showed that thieves and burglars who were GPS tagged as part of an innovative pilot scheme were about 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.
