From today (Tuesday) criminals who commit alcohol-fuelled crime could be banned from drinking and made to wear ‘sobriety tags’.
New legislation comes into force today which will see ankle tags used in England and Wales to monitor the alcohol intake of offenders.
The Government say:
The tags perform around-the-clock monitoring of an offender’s sweat to determine whether alcohol has been consumed.
If they drink – breaching their alcohol abstinence order – they can be returned to court for further sanctions. These might range from a fine, extending the length of the order or in some cases imprisonment.
Courts will be able to order offenders to wear a tag for up to 120 days. The tough community sentence not only punishes offenders but aids their rehabilitation by forcing them to address the causes of their behaviour – in turn helping to reduce alcohol-related harm.
The scheme was piloted across Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire, as well as in London.
Crime, Policing and Justice Minister Kit Malthouse MP said:
“Alcohol-fuelled crime blights communities and puts an unnecessary strain on our frontline services.
“Smart technologies like sobriety tags not only punish offenders but can help turn their lives around.
“While prison will always be the right place for many criminals, tough community sentences like this can help cut reoffending and protect the public.”
