UK criminals face biometric tests

Paroled prisoners are to be ID'd over the telephone as part of a new technology deal under the Home Office's programme for 'tagging' young offenders.

The scheme also includes the use of technology that verifies the phone number prisoners are using to make sure of their geographical location.

The contract is between Securicor, which runs the £45m programme, and systems integrator On Guard Plus. On Guard is using biometrics software from Belgian tech firm Keyware to do the actual verification of offenders.

Keyware's software identifies unique characteristics in human voices to verify that people are who they say they are.

Laurent Gosseaux, communications director at Keyware, said he was pleased the system was now able to be rolled out.

He told silicon.com: "We have been working on this since 1999. It has been through rigorous testing and is now ready to be rolled out. Biometrics adds a new dimension to the identifying of these young offenders because it tests what you are, not what you know."