Electronic tagging system unprepared to monitor thousands of early-release prisoners, watchdog warns
Summary
A government watchdog warns that the electronic tagging system used to monitor thousands of prisoners released early is outdated and struggles to alert authorities to possible rule-breaking. The system currently requires police and probation officers to manually check for breaches, but officials say it needs updating and more staff to keep the public safe.Key Facts
- Up to 5,000 prisoners will be released early starting October 1 to ease overcrowded prisons.
- The electronic tagging system often fails to send automatic alerts when offenders break rules or enter banned areas.
- Police and probation officers must manually review case data to detect possible breaches.
- The number of people electronically monitored in England and Wales has doubled to 28,700 over five years.
- From 2027, an estimated 22,000 people will be newly tagged each year, increasing the need for staffing.
- Some high-risk offenders, such as rapists and serious child abusers, are now excluded from early release, but killers and domestic abusers are still eligible.
- The National Audit Office reported that poor performance by contractors delayed tagging and notifications, though improvements have been made.
- Approved premises, specialized hostels for serious offenders on release, need more staff to function effectively.
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