Electronic tagging of children to stop them committing crimes has proved an expensive and largely ineffective tool, according to the first independent study of the controversial scheme.
The evaluation of the £12m pilot will prove embarrassing for former first minister Jack McConnell, who championed tagging as a key weapon in the so-called war on neds.
But its findings vindicate local authorities and charity groups, because the report shows one-to-one support given to 150 young people, without a tag, has proved extremely successful, and cheaper.
Three-quarters of the 12 to 16-year-olds on Intensive Support Services (ISS), have reduced their offending, and almost 60% have not reoffended at all.
By contrast, of the 52 young people who have gone on to be tagged since the Intensive Support and Monitoring Services (ISMS) programme began two-and-a-half years ago, many repeatedly breached their conditions and some ended up in secure accommodation, although for some there was a reduction in offending, particularly for children where their peer group was a problem.
That came at a significant cost. One-to-one support by a worker from Includem, a charity which provides intensive support in five of the seven pilot areas, costs about £600 per child a week, and adding a tag increases the bill to about £800 - or an additional £10,000 a year.
Professor Malcolm Hill of Glasgow University, who carried out the independent study, concludes: "The extra cost incurred with ISMS compared to ISS has not been justified by consistently lower levels of either offending or being incarcerated." He adds: "A week in secure accommodation costs about 7.5 times that of a week with (a support charity).
"It seems likely that at least some of the majority on ISS/ISMS who stayed out of secure accommodation or prison would otherwise have been admitted, so a considerable saving has been incurred."
Children in the scheme include some of Scotland's most prolific and violent offenders. Changing their behaviour and cutting offending is therefore seen as all the more impressive.
The pilot for the seven councils involved ends soon. Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, is next week expected to announce interim funding until March when a broader announcement will be made.
The original scheme, launched under the 2004 Antisocial Behaviour Act by Mr McConnell's executive, was aimed at providing intensive support only to those who were tagged.
But before being fitted with a tag, many young people were put on the programme of intensive support, which includes an average of 25 hours a week of one-to-one work, as part of the assessment process.
Many changed their behaviour so significantly that, following the assessment, the Children's Panel decided a tag was not necessary.
Includem found that most young people reacted better to personal interaction, rather than the tag. Partly as a result of this, just 52 children have been tagged.
Ministers had originally expected to tag up to 200 children. Cathy Jamieson, former justice minister, publicly lambasted councils for the low take-up rate.
- In The Herald Magazine tomorrow: Lucy Adams meets the troubled teenagers pulled back from the brink.
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