England: ‘Sobriety tags’ to be rolled out across England

England: 'Sobriety tags' to be rolled out across England

New “sobriety tags” which detect whether offenders have broken drinking bans will be rolled out across England following their successful rollout in Wales last year.

The legislation underpinning the use of the tags in cases of alcohol-fuelled crime came into force last May and the tags became available to Welsh judges last October.

The ankle tags sample the wearer’s sweat every 30 minutes to determine whether alcohol has been consumed in breach of an alcohol abstinence order.

If the tags – which can be imposed for up to 120 days – detect that alcohol has been consumed, the offender can be returned to court for further sanctions, including a fine, an extension of the order, or imprisonment.

More than 100 offenders have been tagged since the launch of the scheme in Wales and officials believe it has proven effective, with offenders staying sober on over 95 per cent of days monitored.

Kit Malthouse, minister for crime and policing, 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.”

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