Dermot Ahern, Minister for Justice, has announced the introduction of an electronic-tagging scheme for prisoners on temporary release. The electronic-tagging pilot programme will begin in June.
Brian Purcell, has said the programme will be targeted at ‘low risk’ prisoners – one of whom is currently in hospital in a coma (since December 2008):
Mr Purcell said tagging him would allow the Irish Prison Service to assess the effects on high-tech medical equipment in a hospital environment.
He said it would also save the €900,000 a year it costs to keep six prisoner officers guarding him 24 hours every day.
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