Prison officer fury after being told to wear electronic tags to make sure they are comfortable enough for lags
The Prison Officers Association said they 'will be asking members not to become involved in this nonsense'
PRISON chiefs are asking officers to test electronic tags to check they are comfortable enough for criminals.
Eighty volunteers are wanted for the two-week trial in November.
Staff from all areas of the jail service are being asked to take part, including guards, whose numbers have been cut.
A source said: “You really couldn’t make it up. They want volunteers to wear tags to make sure they work.
“This includes ensuring the poor inmate isn’t too uncomfortable with it around their ankle. They’ll be asking them what colour they prefer next.”
An internal email from the National Offender Management Service warns: “Volunteers will not be able to enter the secure parts of prisons during the trial period, or travel by plane.”
It said the tests will be used to assess “comfort, durability, impact on daily life, ease of fitting and removal.”
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The new tags will include GPS monitoring for lags and those on bail. This means a controller can continuously monitor a subject’s location.
But Steve Gillan, from the Prison Officers Association, said: “We will be asking our members not to become involved in this nonsense.”
It is estimated that 25,000 people are tagged in England and Wales.
The Ministry of Justice said: “GPS tagging will allow us to monitor high risk and persistent offenders so there are fewer victims in future.
“We will be testing tags from a range of providers to ensure they meet our requirements.”