Capita supports Ministry of Justice to deliver the first national rollout of sobriety tags in England
The ankle tags will be fitted by EMS field officers to people who have received a court-mandated alcohol abstinence order. These orders can be given to individuals who commit alcohol-related crime and are designed to help address their past behaviour and support their rehabilitation.
When a person, who has been tagged, requires advice and support, they can contact trained EMS staff on a free phone number. The sobriety tag is one part of the alcohol abstinence order, and individuals who are given one will be provided with further professional support to aid their rehabilitation.
Alistair Murray, Capita’s managing director for Justice, Central Government and Transport, said: “We are proud to be supporting the Ministry of Justice to deliver the first national rollout of sobriety tags in England. This innovative technology will help enable the rehabilitation of individuals who commit alcohol-related crimes in the country and help make our society safer.”
The tags, supplied by AMS, come equipped with sensors that provide around-the-clock monitoring of an individual’s sweat which can tell whenever alcohol has been consumed. Crucially, the tags understand the difference between an alcoholic drink and other substances or liquids which contain alcohol, such as hand sanitiser.
The rollout in England follows the successful launch of the programme in Wales in October 2020, which was also supported by EMS. The Wales programme has to date seen more than 100 people with alcohol abstinence orders issued with sobriety tags.
Minister for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse MP 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".
For more information, please click here
techUK's 'Digital Justice’ work explores ways to modernise the Justice system through the adoption of technology. If you want to learn more or share your work and how you are driving digital transformation across the Criminal Justice System, please reach out to Georgie Henley, [email protected]
Georgie Morgan
Georgie joined techUK as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager in March 2020, then becoming Head of Programme in January 2022.
