Use of electronic tags for offenders at record levels
New stats show there is a record number of offenders and defendants on a tag
Last updated 25th Apr 2024
The number of electronic tags used to keep track of offenders and defendants has reached a record high after numbers increased in the last year.
New data from the government shows 15,700 offenders and defendants are on a tag, a 13.6% increase from last year and an increase of more than 4.500 since March 2017.
The use of alcohol tags has also increased by 27% in the last year to 2,862.
Alcohol tags are used for sentencing alcohol-related criminal behaviour and monitors alcohol levels via an offender's sweat.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Alex Chalk told us the use of alcohol tags is having an effect on crime statistics:
"We are real pioneers in the use of this technology, the compliance rate for alcohol tags is 97% and the reason why that matters is because alcohol is part of the context for around 40% of all violent crimes, so if you can address that issue it means that you drive down offending.
"People know if they have that drink it will show up, that means that their community order could be breached and they could go to prison."
The data also revealed that the use of GPS tags, which show the wearer's location, has also increased – there are now over 5,600 offenders and defendants on a GPS tag, an increase of over 45% in a year.