Prison governor calls for tags for low-risk offenders

He said that the sentencing option should be available to the courts for low-risk offenders, and he is going to ask the Committee for Home Affairs to discuss the idea, which would see some offenders being fitted with GPS-enabled tags.

He has also given his backing to changing parole legislation so that it would only become an option after half a sentence had been served rather than one-third which is currently the case.

Tags have been in use in other jurisdictions for some time, but Mr Mathews said the old radio technology used was expensive.

In addition, all it did was notify the police when an offender left their home. It did not tell them where that offender had gone.

Using modern, and much cheaper, technology, an offender's movements could be monitored closely, he said.

'If they're low risk offenders why can't they continue going to work every day?' said Mr Matthews.

'They could ensure that they are home by a set curfew time, and this would do away with the need for a police officer to check up on them.

'It would also mean the prison would not have to pay to feed and clothe them and provide medical facilities, saving costs.'