Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value of the new electronic tagging contract is for each of the next nine financial years.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The contracts have not yet been awarded. An announcement was made on 15th July.
Yes we comply with the OJEU / EU procurement rules as well as cabinet office processes.
The new electronic monitoring service has not been subject to a pilot as in the first instance we need to ensure continuity of service. However, there will be a significant period of testing and validation for the new system before introduction. There is also a robust programme of testing for the new tags themselves, and we will have to be satisfied that they meet our standards before they are introduced on the new platform.
Electronic monitoring using GPS was piloted in three probation areas in 2004 to 2005 and the evaluation found qualitative evidence to show that it:
o acted as a deterrent because offenders thought they would be caught if they were to reoffend;
o was a constant reminder which prompted offenders to ‘think twice' when a criminal opportunity presented itself and gave them the spur they needed to walk away;
o provided offenders with renewed determination to get their lives back together after a period of incarceration; and
o was perceived by offenders to help stop wrongful identification for crimes they hadn't done.
Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which companies have been awarded contracts for electronic tagging in respect of the next nine years; how much each such company will be paid; what services each such company will provide; and for how long each such company will provide services.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The contracts have not yet been awarded. An announcement was made on 15th July.
Yes we comply with the OJEU / EU procurement rules as well as cabinet office processes.
The new electronic monitoring service has not been subject to a pilot as in the first instance we need to ensure continuity of service. However, there will be a significant period of testing and validation for the new system before introduction. There is also a robust programme of testing for the new tags themselves, and we will have to be satisfied that they meet our standards before they are introduced on the new platform.
Electronic monitoring using GPS was piloted in three probation areas in 2004 to 2005 and the evaluation found qualitative evidence to show that it:
o acted as a deterrent because offenders thought they would be caught if they were to reoffend;
o was a constant reminder which prompted offenders to ‘think twice' when a criminal opportunity presented itself and gave them the spur they needed to walk away;
o provided offenders with renewed determination to get their lives back together after a period of incarceration; and
o was perceived by offenders to help stop wrongful identification for crimes they hadn't done.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to introduce GPS technology for the electronic monitoring of offenders.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The new contracts will introduce state-of-the-art satellite tagging that will allow us to keep a closer watch over offenders in the community. We are working to take this forward as quickly as possible, with a view to beginning roll out by the end of the year.