Is electronic tagging the way forward to stop ex-prisoners from re-offending?

Answer 1

Sometimes it helps. But like any "miracle cure" it only works sometimes.

1) Governments do this on the cheap, and they sign contractd with cheap and sometimes corrupt firms that don't do the job properly.

2) We are talking about criminals. They find ways to remove the tags. And often they are not telephoned at home to check they are really there. Or they just ignore the probation rules and find that nothing happens to them.

3) In the olden days there were farm jobs for ex-criminals. Today jobs are few and far between for any ex-convict. Most will return to crime. The successful ex-convicts I have known (or known of) were white collar criminals, criminals of opportunity (wound up handling large sums of money at work and embezzled), confidence tricksters and tax cheats. They went into business for themselves, bypassing the background check rules.

The jails are filled with drug abusers and sellers. A government health official I dealt with professionally told me that 1/3 of abusers recover spontaneously after time, 1/3 muddle through life dabbling in drugs, and 1/3 die young. Except among the rich, serious drugs will always lead to crime: either peddling drugs or stealing to buy them. Electronic tag or no.

And there are those -- especially teens -- who will not be restrained by any threat. Think of car thieves and joy riders in Northern Ireland, told by the IRA that they will be kneecapped -- crippled for life -- if they persist. And yet they persist. Their parents can't stop them. They are kneecapped and crippled. Just as they were told they would be.

Even certainty or likelihood of the death penalty is an imperfect preventive measure. Think of Saudi Arabia, Iran or China.

Answer 2

No, I don't see how having an electronic tag will physically stop anyone from re-offending, what prisoners need is rehabilitation, and encouragement to do something worthwhile with their lives. Most important is probably to try and target what causes people to commit crime in the first place, then there might be a bit less crime in this country!

Answer 3

A report on the BBC news this morning indicated that only 5% of those released early with electronic tags actually re-offended. However, they do try to select those prisoners that are considered at low risk of re-offending so it is not clear how much of an impact the tag itself has.

Answer 4

Women were more likely to be eligible for the tagging than men.

Offenders convicted of crimes with a high reconviction rate, eg burglary, are less likely to be tagged than those who committed an offence with a low reconviction rate, eg fraud.

37% of prisoners said the chance of being put on the scheme positively influenced their behaviour in prison.

The scheme was estimated to have saved the Prison Service £36million.

2% of participants re-offended while on curfew, but re-offending rates were almost identical to a control group in the six months following curfew.

Answer 5

If they proceed with this as an alternative we will then need a whole new tagging police force to enforce the tagging orders, bring them to court and a whole new court system to punish the breaches of orders not to mention a whole new electronic tag monitoring beurocracy ,jail the offenders its cheaper.

Answer 6

Tagging is good for small crime such as belching in public but as a further deterant if the offender is breaking the law a small 10000volt shock to remind them is a good idea.
As for other crime a more fitting punishment of public flogging should be re-enforced.
A good deterant is needed, this country is to soft on criminals.

Answer 7

I believe some have been found on dogs to fool tthe monitors.
How they get them off I have no Idea.

It has also been shown that they are not deterents to all criminals and crimes have been committed while tagged. Over 1000 violent crimes I believe.

Time will come no doubt when criminals are micro-chipped like pet dogs only to be monitored and subjected remotely activated stimulatants when in a hieghtened emotional state to sedate them and stop them committing further crimes.

Answer 8

No. They should upgrade the electronic tags so that they explode. The fear of actually losing a foot would stop them doing anything wrong.

Answer 9

No. But if they were put into loud striped pyjamas or suits with arrows on and they were chained together by the ankles, and THEN set to work clearing drains, mending roads, whatever, under the watchful eyes of a couple of armed gang-masters - well, I think that might just do it.

Answer 10

I think hanging is the only sure way to stop people re-offending