Sex and violent offenders released from prison will be placed in GPS restriction zones covering areas of a few miles under new government plans intended to reduce the risk of reoffending.
The zones will be monitored by electronic tags capable of tracking an offender’s movements in real time, 24 hours a day. Victims will be able to contribute to decisions about where the boundaries are set, with the aim of reducing the chance of unexpected encounters with the people who attacked them.
GPS restriction zones will go beyond current exclusions
The proposed arrangements would extend the existing use of exclusion zones, which can prevent offenders from visiting specific locations such as a victim’s home or workplace. Instead, the new restrictions would confine an offender to a defined geographical area for as long as their probation officer considers necessary.
Offenders approaching the edge of a zone will receive a push notification warning them to turn back. Anyone who crosses the boundary or otherwise breaches the conditions could be recalled to prison. The GPS system is intended to allow probation staff to identify breaches quickly.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris said the measures were designed to prevent victims from continuing to feel threatened after an offender’s release.
“No victim should fear the shadow of an abuser on their back,” he said. Norris added that dangerous offenders would be placed in “tightly controlled areas”, while GPS monitoring would help probation track their movements and identify those who left the permitted boundaries.
The plans form part of a wider set of proposed controls for people convicted of serious sexual offences. Norris has previously announced that all rapists and child sex offenders will be fitted with electronic tags for at least a year after completing their full prison sentences.
Further monitoring and probation measures
The Ministry of Justice has also said it will introduce random drug testing for 1,000 offenders each month. People convicted of rape or serious child sex offences will have closer contact with probation services and will be required to accept referrals to the most secure accommodation.
The proposed GPS restriction zones come as ministers reconsider plans for the early release of prisoners during an overcrowding crisis. Andy Burnham has already blocked the early release of rapists and child groomers, while the government is reviewing how to prevent the early release of the two men convicted of killing Pc Andrew Harper.
The early release scheme has prompted warnings that it could place further pressure on the probation service. Martin Jones, the chief inspector of probation, has previously said he was “anxious” about releasing large numbers of inmates early while the service was already under “huge pressure” because of staff shortages.
The Ministry of Justice said it was investing £700 million in probation and community services and recruiting an additional 1,300 probation officers this year. The extra resources are intended to support the service as it manages offenders subject to release conditions, electronic monitoring and closer supervision.
Under the proposed system, the length and precise boundaries of a restriction would be determined through probation arrangements, with victims given a say in the areas they need to avoid. The government says the combination of location tracking, warnings and the possibility of a return to prison will make the conditions enforceable after release.
The GPS restriction zones would therefore operate alongside tagging, drug testing, accommodation referrals and increased contact with probation rather than replacing existing controls. The stated objective is to place responsibility for complying with release conditions on offenders while giving victims greater freedom to go about their lives.
Source: Metro News
