19
Not Addressed
HMPPS launched alcohol monitoring services in October 2020 for offenders sentenced in the community.
Recommendation
HMPPS launched alcohol monitoring services in October 2020 for offenders sentenced in the community. In November 2021 and June 2022, it extended the scheme to include those leaving prison, in Wales and in England respectively. Alcohol tags measure alcohol concentration in sweat and send an alert if the wearer has consumed alcohol. As at March 2021, 900 offenders were tagged as part of the alcohol monitoring service. HMPPS forecast that there will be around 1,900 individuals once the scheme has got into a ‘steady- state position’.34 HMPPS reported high abstinence rates of around 97% so far for those offenders tagged as part of the programme, but it does not yet know if the scheme promotes longer-term sobriety or reductions in alcohol fuelled offending. We asked the Ministry and HMPPS whether they can isolate the effect of wearing a tag from the other sentence requirements that offenders must fulfil, such as undertaking unpaid work or attending programmes to address offending behaviour. The Ministry told us that it cannot attribute the effect, but will be able to perform better evaluation as case numbers grow.35 An alcohol tagging order typically lasts 90 days. As part of its evaluation of alcohol monitoring, HMPPS told us that it planned to explore what is the right period for an individual to be tagged, and whether it was providing the right support to people to address their drinking and behaviour. We asked HMPPS what alternative support it provided alongside the tag, such as alcohol treatment programmes. It recognised that there was inconsistent provision for alcohol support services in England and Wales. It explained that it was reflecting on whether it should commission specific services for tagged offenders.36
Government Response Summary
The government's response regarding a lessons learned strategy did not address the committee's recommendation concerning evaluating the long-term impact of alcohol tagging or commissioning specific alcohol support services.
Government Response
Not Addressed
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: February 2023 5.2 The agency has a robust process for regularly capturing lessons learned from its EM expansion projects. This is an ongoing process owned and managed by the EM Programme Management Office. Lessons learned are captured at key points in each project’s lifecycle (for example, after each delivery release) and involve all key stakeholders. These lessons are agreed at the appropriate governance board and shared for awareness amongst the wider EM team and wider department where applicable. The programme also shares knowledge and experience between projects through sharing of resources. The agency recognises more can be done to embed lessons formally and consistently, including: • ensuring lessons are regularly and consistently reviewed, agreed, and shared across the programme to inform the design of future schemes; • introducing a more robust governance and assurance approach to ensure each recommendation and decision brought to any EM governance board has considered and embedded the relevant key lessons in the design of future schemes; and • sharing lessons more widely across the agency and the department where applicable. 5.3 By February 2023, the agency will produce a lesson learned strategy and approach that will be embedded across the EM programme and with stakeholders. This strategy will build on the work to date and ensure lessons learned are rigorously and consistently captured, agreed, and shared and subsequently robustly and formally embedded in the design and delivery of future schemes.
Source
Committee
Public Accounts Committee
Inquiry
Electronic Monitoring programme
Report
Twenty-First Report: Transforming electronic monitoring services
21 Oct 2022
HC 34
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age
3.8 yrs
Report published
21 Oct 2022