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.
- 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
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, 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 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.
Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) Joint Leads on Addiction and Substance Misuse, Joy Allen (Durham PCC) and David Sidwick (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.
