Sharjah rolls out electronic tagging system for inmates

Prisoners who have served most of their jail sentence for a minor crime will be eligible for the tag

Electronic tags are widely used in countries such as the UK, where they are traditionally fitted on the ankle. Alamy

Sharjah has rolled out an electronic tagging system for low risk prisoners, police announced this week.

On Tuesday, Sharjah became the third emirate — after Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah — to introduce the scheme. The rest of the emirates are also expected to implement an electronic tagging option for inmates.

The policy was part of amendments made to the country’s Law of Criminal Procedures last year. Prisoners convicted of crimes with sentences of less than two years that do not include mandatory deportation — such as minor thefts and bounced cheques - are eligible for the tag.

Under the scheme, prisoners on parole or defendants facing trial could have the sophisticated monitoring device fitted to their ankles so they can live their lives among their relatives and seek employment.

The system also seeks to provide an alternative to jail for inmates who have served at least half of their five-year prison sentence for a minor crime — while reducing the number of prisoners in UAE prisons.

The scheme was introduced to Abu Dhabi in 2018, when more than 130 inmates were successfully tagged in a trial.

Since then, more than 300 convicts serving different prison terms in the UAE capital have been fitted with tags.

The Emirates is understood to be one of the first Arab nations to introduce tagging. Algeria began tagging some of its prisoners in 2017.

The devices are placed on convicts' ankles throughout the period of the sentence and transmits signals specifying their location.
Police will be automatically alerted if any attempts to remove or tamper with the tag are made.