Facial recognition cameras used by authoritarian states like China could be used to monitor released prisoners

MINISTERS are looking astatine facial designation cameras utilized by authoritarian states similar China arsenic portion of the propulsion to make “virtual jails”, The Sun tin reveal.

The program is being worked up to easiness unit connected crammed prisons but risks a enactment with privateness campaigners.

Senior government sources said cutting-edge technology could beryllium deployed to show offenders released into the community.

An insider said: “We request to larn from the surveillance states who spy connected their ain citizens and usage the aforesaid tactics with our criminals.”

As good arsenic keeping tabs connected lags with state-of-the-art cameras, the “virtual prisons” would apt see a wide rollout of GPS tags.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood yesterday said that punishment extracurricular situation tin beryllium “more restrictive” than beingness down bars.

She told the Commons: “Those nether location detention curfews are successful signifier nether a signifier of location arrest, with a tag connected their ankle, and a censor successful their home, they are placed nether curfews, mostly for 12 hours each day.

“And should they interruption that curfew they tin beryllium picked up and if needs be, locked up.

"In immoderate ways, punishment extracurricular a situation tin beryllium adjacent much restrictive than prison.

“It is simply a bittersweet information that successful galore of our prisons today, a drinker tin each excessively easy procure a drink.

“On a sobriety tag, however, with their sweat measured each 30 minutes and a 97 per cent compliance complaint their teetotalism is astir arsenic strict arsenic mine.”