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Electronic tagging still conjures up a vision of a futuristic society where
Big Brother is always watching; but the vision is a badly distorted one.

Far from it being an infringement of human rights, tagging could just be
the long sought after alternative to prison for offenders who are not a
threat to society.

The greatest iniquity in Scotland's penal system is overcrowding. Building
new prisons is not the answer. Like new roads, they always seem to fill up.

It is better to punish minor offenders with non-custodial sentences where
they might remain the moderating influence of friends and family than to
lock them up in the company of the more serious criminals than themselves.
Cheaper too.

Of course, tagging may not satisfy some people's urge for harsh retribution
but it has much else to recommend it - as long as it works.