Booze offenders to wear "Sobriety Tags" to monitor alcohol levels
Judges could order tags as part of sentencing after "successful rollout" in Wales
Sobriety tags and drinking bans aimed at reducing alcohol-fuelled crimes are launching in England following what the government describe as a successful rollout in Wales.
Offenders who commit alcohol-driven crimes could be ordered to wear a tag which takes a sample of their sweat every 30 minutes and alerts the probation service if alcohol is detected. They face further court sentences or fines if caught breaching a ban.
More than 100 offenders have been tagged since the scheme launched in Wales in October and it has proven "effective, with offenders sober on over 95% of days monitored."
The Ministry of Justice says offenders have credited the scheme with helping them improve their lifestyle and staff say the tags have helped the offenders stay away from crime.
How much of a problem is alcohol for the police?
Alcohol plays a part in 39% of violent crime, with the social and economic cost of drink-related harm around £21.5 billion per year and is seen as one of the drivers of domestic violence and unprovoked attacks.
That is why the government intends to back up the sobriety tags with targeted professional support, signposting offenders to the help they need and helping to prevent future victims.
Minister for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse MP said:
"These tags have already brought enormous benefit to Wales since they were introduced in October, with one offender I met saying it not only changed his ways but also saved his life.
“This smart and powerful new tool is helping the fight against alcohol-fuelled violence which ruins too many lives and families and creates mayhem in our town centres.”
The tags have helped probation officers in Wales steer offenders away from bad habits and get them the support they need to turn their backs on crime.
What happened in the trials in Wales
Probation Officer Laura Harrison said: “Sobriety tags have had an enormously positive effect on the people I’ve supervised in Wales, improving their mental health, keeping them off drink and out of trouble with the police.
“One man with a history of drink-related violence was given a tag for 90 days and has been sober ever since and says the scheme helped him turn his life around.”
The tags can distinguish the difference between drinks and other types of alcohol – such as hand sanitiser or perfume. They work 24/7 and can also tell if someone tries to block contact between the tag and their skin.