Thousands of criminals hit with World Cup drinking ban: ‘One slip up could send them to jail’
The Ministry of Justice has announced a World Cup booze ban on 7,300 criminals using high-tech wrist tags.
Approximately 5,000 offenders who were released from prison or serving sentences had already been fitted with alcohol-sensitive tags when the tournament began, and an additional 2,300 are expected to be issued during the event.
The tags analyze the user’s sweat 24 hours a day and send an alert to probation officers if they have been drinking; The devices can tell the difference between an offender supporting his team from a bar or fan zone versus actively drinking himself.
Lord James Timpson, minister for prisons, probation and reducing reoffending, said: “Major sporting events should be a time for the country to come together and enjoy the game, not for alcohol-fueled violence and mayhem to ruin the event.
“The fixation of this technology around the ankle is a wake-up call for criminals, leaving them with the sobering thought that one mistake could send them to prison.”
The Department of Justice says that since the technology was introduced in 2020, offenders banned from consuming alcohol have stayed sober on 97% of the days they were tagged.
David Sidwick and Joy Allen, joint leads on addictions and substance abuse at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: “The World Cup unites the nation and we want to see football fans who usually support rival clubs celebrating together, including having a drink if that is their preference.
“But alcohol fuels crime and anti-social behavior and evidence shows violence increases at major sporting events.
“Police and crime commissioners and deputy mayors support the use of alcohol labels to track offenders and encourage them to stay away from crime as part of a program of measures to rehabilitate and reduce reoffending, protecting communities from alcohol-related harm.”
If a tagged offender is consuming alcohol, the probation officer may order him to be sent to court or jail.
