Youth tagging scheme criticised for lack of use
18 Aug 06
Only eight offenders on pilot programme after 17 months
The Scottish Executive's tagging programme for persistent young offenders has been labelled an expensive failure, according to today's Herald.
The Intensive Support and Monitoring Services (ISMS) scheme was started up as a pilot programme in April of last year in seven local authority areas - Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Highlands, Moray and East and West Dunbartonshire. The councils were give £2 million to prepare for the scheme and £10 million for its duration until April 2007.
The programme was expected to involve up to 100 young people at a time, but so far only 43 have been electronically monitored, some of whom broke their orders after only a few days. Only eight are currently subject to tagging orders.
It is understood that more offenders have received the support part of the project without being tagged.
The article states that the Executive will not have a full evaluation of the project by next April and may be unable to roll the project out across Scotland in 2007 as intended.
Local authorities have claimed that money should be spent on measures that worked and it was the support that produced results. However an Executive spokesperson said the Justice Minister expected the funds to be used for the purpose for which they were provided.
The SNP and Conservatives criticised the scheme for failing to address the problem of youth crime.