Burglars and thieves given warning as new examine reveals shock determine | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Convicted burglars and thieves are much less prone to commit extra crimes if they’re being electronically monitored, a examine has discovered. Reoffending charges fell from 33% to 26% if criminals had been tagged after leaving jail, analysis by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) revealed.

It comes as separate figures revealed a report 23,977 criminals are being noticed whereas residing in communities throughout the nation. This contains 4,261 sporting alcohol screens. But the variety of overseas criminals, immigration offenders and failed asylum seekers being electronically tagged has fallen.

It is the primary time the annual whole has fallen since 2018.

Prisons minister Lord Timpson mentioned: “The evidence is clear that tagging works, acting as a constant reminder to thieves and burglars that we are watching their every move and will know if they reoffend.

“We are increasing the use of tagging as part of our Plan for Change to toughen punishment, prevent crime and make our streets safer.”

Criminals being monitored had been much less prone to commit violent crimes, weapons offences or theft, the MoJ analysis revealed.

But they had been extra prone to be caught for medicine offences or motoring crimes.

And reoffending charges for theft had been constant, at 39%, the examine reveals.

Alan, an offender who’s at the moment on a GPS tag, mentioned: “The second that tag went on my ankle, I had that feeling that someone was watching me every second of the day.

“It let me get on with my life knowing if I fell back into my old habits, I could be back in a jail cell.”

Justice chiefs additionally consider police had been in a position to rule out extra suspects from their investigations as a result of the GPS tags had been monitoring their areas.

This allowed officers to give attention to different potential criminals.

The MoJ mentioned officers didn’t perform 16,000 “unnecessary” arrests over three years.

The examine discovered: “Police officers’ largely positive view of the project was partly a consequence of being able to dismiss potential suspects from criminal investigations more easily due to the crime mapping of location-monitored individuals.

“It therefore follows that there could have been fewer arrests in the participating police forces than would otherwise have been the case as a result of the project.”

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood secured £700million in funding from Chancellor Rachel Reeves for a mass growth of tagging gadgets.

This is a part of the Government’s plan to forestall the jail system from collapsing.

Ministry of Justice figures printed on Thursday present some 23,977 offenders had been being monitored.

This contains over 12,000 individuals having their location monitored and 4,261 being checked for alcohol.

Statistics present offenders sporting alcohol tags, which monitor whether or not or not they’re consuming, keep sober for 97% of the times they’re tagged.

But the variety of immigration offenders being monitored has fallen.

Some 4,008 overseas criminals, failed asylum seekers or visa overstayers had been topic to GPS monitoring.

This is down from 4,446 in June 2024.

It can be the primary time since 2018 that the variety of immigration offenders being monitored has fallen.