Voluntary tags helping to stop offenders coming out of prison from repeatedly committing crimes

A system known as voluntary tagging, run by Nottinghamshire Police, is proving effective at helping to rehabilitate repeat offenders.

The electronic tags use GPS location data to track and monitor the wearers movements.

An online system is used to monitor the location of each person registered with the tag, this allows them to see their location at any time, as well as if they have gone into any exclusion zones that have been imposed onto them.

The initiative is available to all offenders currently managed by the police’s integrated offender management, this is a program whereby repeat offenders are given support by housing, education and other partners.

This is done with the aim of helping offenders to successfully rebuild their lives after coming out of prison.

The tags can be used on a range of different offences including sex offences, domestic abuse, drug offences, as well as for people involved in county lines.

It is voluntary and so offenders can choose to withdraw their consent at any given time.

However, offenders do choose to enrol onto the programme because it can help with their rehabilitation in the future.

The Multi Agency intelligence team, which sits within Nottinghamshire’s Police’s Prevention Hub manage these repeat offenders that have chosen to wear the tags.

The Multi Agency Intelligence team work closely with probation and prisons across the county.

The Prevention Hub is a collaboration between multiple force departments responsible for developing and delivering strategies to prevent crime and disorder throughout the city and county.

The tagging scheme is increasingly being used to help young offenders involved in county lines or ASB offending.

Each individual case is continually reviewed on a regular basis to see if the tag wearer is benefiting from the initiative.

Any breaches of the tag’s conditions are shared with the wearer’s case manager and the multi-agency intelligence team in the police who then research whether the breach is genuine and advise on any further actions to take if necessary.

The length the tag can be worn is up to the individual, with some choosing to wear it for three days as part of a temporary release from prison, to up to a year.

Detective Inspector Jon Kerry, the Electric Monitoring lead for Nottinghamshire Police said:

“Working with offenders to help them rebuild their lives after they have come out of prison is important to us and the work we are doing around integrated offender management and in the multi-agency team is helping us to achieve this.

“Voluntary tagging is a great way for repeat offenders to move away from a life of committing crime and help with their rehabilitation.

“I would strongly encourage anyone who is interested and think this could help them to get in touch with their managing officer and we will then review their case to see if they could be a suitable match for a tag.

“We have had great feedback from past offenders who have engaged with the scheme. This shows that the initiative is beneficial for the tag wearer as well as for the police."