- Offenders to be fitted with innovative tags that measure alcohol intake 24/7
- Drinking expected to soar as fans tune in to football games from pubs and at home
- Tags help to protect our streets from £21 billion cost of booze-fuelled crime
Statistics show that around 7,300 criminals either released from prison or serving a community sentence will be forced to wear alcohol tags at some point during the tournament.
The innovative tags work around the clock and quickly detect if an offender has been drinking by analysing their sweat. 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 those simply soaking up the atmosphere at pubs and fan zones where alcohol is present, and those risking a red card by actively drinking.
The move comes as police forces and local authorities prepare for increased demand during the tournament, with alcohol often linked to incidents of violence, anti-social behaviour and disorder around major football fixtures.
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.
Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending Minister Lord Timpson said
Major sporting events should be a time for the country to come together and enjoy the game, not for alcohol-fuelled violence and disorder to ruin the occasion.
Having this tech fixed around the ankle is the wake-up call to offenders and leaves them with the sobering thought that one slip-up could send them to jail.
New tagging technology is a critical tool in our efforts to punish offenders, cut reoffending and keep the public safe, and the evidence is increasingly proving its effectiveness.
Offenders who are banned from consuming alcohol by the courts have remained sober for 97% of the days they have been tagged since the technology was first rolled out in 2020.
They monitor alcohol bans for offenders on community sentences handed down by judges or magistrates and can also be used as a licence condition for prison leavers. Roughly 20% of those supervised by probation are classified as having a drinking problem.
As part of the Government’s action to make streets safer, tens of thousands more criminals will be tagged over the next three years as part of a major technology expansion.
The Government is also introducing, for the first time, a presumption that all prison leavers will be tagged on release as part of intensive supervision with the Probation Service keeping a closer eye on offenders’ behaviour.
It is increasing probation funding by up to £700 million extra by 2028/29, including the recruitment of at least 1,300 additional probation officers over the next year. This will help deliver tougher, more effective supervision of violent offenders and better protect the public.