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Criminals in England who commit alcohol-related offenses may have to wear sweat-monitoring anklets every 30 minutes.
It is part of a plan that is being implemented in England today, following its launch in Wales last October.
Probation officers will be alerted if the sobriety labels detect alcohol in the sweat and the offender could face fines or other sentences in court.
Labels can tell the difference between beverages and other alcoholic beverages, such as hand sanitizers or perfumes, and can also indicate whether someone is trying to block contact between the device and your skin.
At the same time, offenders will receive professional help to deal with their drinking problems.
In Wales, the scheme has been used for more than 100 criminals and they have remained sober on more than 95% of the days they were monitored, the Justice Ministry said.
In Wales, the technology has been used by more than 100 criminals.
A former prisoner, who declined to be named, told Sky News that being offered the opportunity to use the tag in the Welsh scheme “showed me another way.”
“I drank every day, it was normal for me to get in trouble,” he said. After missing appointments with his probation officer, he was ordered to return to court, where the sobriety tag was raised as an option.
“It was a great blessing to see the label, it showed me another way.”
He continued: “I thought I was going to be a drunken mess for the rest of my life … with the label that I have to fight my demons.”
In addition to alcohol, the software can also monitor the location
Crime and Police Minister Kit Malthouse MP said: “These labels have already brought a huge benefit to Wales since they were introduced in October, and a criminal I knew said that not only did he change his ways, but also saved his life. life.
“This smart and powerful new tool is helping to fight the violence fueled by alcohol, which ruins too many lives and families and creates chaos in our urban centers.”
Probation Officer Laura Harrison said: “The sobriety labels have had a huge positive effect on the people I supervised in Wales, improving their mental health, keeping them away from drinking and out of trouble with the police.
“A man with a history of drinking-related violence was tagged for 90 days and has been sober ever since and says the plan helped change his life.”
The tags will only be used on offenders who are 18 years of age or older, who are not alcohol dependent, or who have an alcohol treatment requirement.
But Nuno Albuquerque of the UK addiction treatment group said the scheme was a “short-term solution” to a “long-term problem.”
He said: “Labeling them simply stigmatizes them for drinking alcohol and does not address the root cause of the problem.
“We would appreciate information on how these people are supported to avoid drinking once the label is removed.
“There needs to be collaborative support between probation teams and treatment providers so that when the label is removed, the person does not want to drink, rather than being forced not to drink.”
The Justice Ministry said that alcohol plays a role in 39% of violent crime and that the social and economic cost of damage related to drinks is estimated at around £ 21.5 billion.
