Earlier this week I was pleased to get an update from Policing Minister Kit Malthouse MP on the progress the Department for Justice has made on the rollout of electronic tagging for offenders.
Almost 26,000 extra offenders will be tagged over the next 3 years under our plan to expand the use of electronic monitoring to cut crime. This world-first project has expanded to half of England and Wales and will now be funded for a further three years.
Additionally alcohol monitoring tags are being used on prison leavers known to commit crimes when under the influence over the same period - helping keep them off alcohol altogether or limit their drinking to reduce the risk of them reoffending. Between April and September this year over 1,500 offenders had to wear a sobriety tag.
I was also glad to learn that the Government are investing £19 million in the latest technological advances, as part of an £183 million investment in the future roll out of the electronic monitoring programme. The Minister expressed his interest in whether new technology could be developed: a drugs tag, which would notify police or probation staff if an offender has been taking illegal drugs.
This major increase in high-tech GPS tagging and our funding for it will make our streets and our communities safer.