Prisoners to be tagged and released back into the community

We’re used to tagging cattle and sheep in Ireland, but now we’re going to start tagging people too. The Department of Justice is preparing to introduce the practice of electronically tagging prisoners and then releasing them back into the public realms.

The Irish Times reports that the long-mooted idea is now set to proceed. So basically rather than sending criminals to overcrowded prisons, they will be fitted with an electronic tag and released back into the community. Their whereabouts will then be monitored by a special team. Well…we feel safe? Eh...

The contract to provide the new tagging system has already been put out to tender by the Irish Prison Service. According to reports, one option states that the company that wins the contract would have to supply the tags and monitor the prisoners via GPS.

They would also have to provide reports to the Irish Prison Service about the movement of prisoners who have been tagged.

The second option states that while the equipment and technology would be provided by the successful bidder, the Irish Prison Service would take care of monitoring the people who have been tagged.

It has been suggested in the documents relating to the tender that the tags would best be suited to prisoners who are on temporary release.

Right now there are 950 prisoners on temporary release in Ireland. These prisoners have been released early because there is no room for them in the current overcrowded prison system.

So basically, the new tagging system will monitor those who are on temporary release and will allow the Irish Prison Service to release even more prisoners back into the community in an attempt to deal with the severe levels of overcrowding in Irish prisons right now.

Electronic tagging – good idea or bad idea?