A World Cup booze ban will be enforced on 7,300 offenders through high-tech ankle tags, the Ministry of Justice has said. Around 5,000 criminals have already had the tag fitted, while 2,300 are set to receive new orders. Criminals either released from prison or serving a community sentence are affected.
The tags work by analysing the offender’s sweat for traces of alcohol, thereby sending an alert to probation officers who can take action to punish them. While the devices can distinguish between an offender having a drink and supporting their team from a pub or a fan zone, should they be caught, they risk being returned to court or prison.
These measures are being implemented as law enforcement and regional councils brace for a surge in pressure during the World Cup. It is well documented that alcohol frequently fuels outbreaks of aggression, rowdy conduct, and public chaos during significant football events.
Ministers are banking on this tech to play a critical role in their mission to rescue our streets from the scourge of drink-fuelled crime. Experts from the National Audit Office have warned that these chaotic outbreaks are currently bleeding the UK economy of an eye-watering £21 billion every single year.
Ever since the initial 2020 launch, those slapped with court-ordered sobriety have successfully stayed off the bottle for an incredible 97% of their time under monitoring. These high-tech devices are also being utilised as a mandatory condition for criminals leaving jail. It comes as figures reveal that roughly one in five offenders managed by probation are currently struggling with alcohol issues.
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.”