Ministers announce huge expansion of electronic tagging in England and Wales | Prisons and probation
Tens of thousands of criminals will be released from prisons in England and Wales wearing tags that track their location in real time, ministers have announced, as part of the biggest expansion of electronic tagging in British history.
Prisons minister James Timpson said a new pilot program would monitor domestic abusers and perverts, alerting authorities if they approach their victims, while other offenders would wear geolocation tags that would allow probation officers to track their live location.
Under the plans, the vast majority of ex-offenders leaving prison will be labeled under “presumption” as part of intense supervision by the Probation Service, but probation officers will hold fewer meetings with “lower risk” prisoners to focus on the most prolific, high-risk offenders such as terrorists, murderers and prolific sex offenders.
“This is the biggest expansion of tagging in British history and means the most dangerous criminals will now be monitored more closely than ever before,” Lord Timpson said.
The government made the dramatic move last year following a prison overcrowding crisis that saw tens of thousands of prisoners released early under an emergency plan. Approximately 40,000 inmates have participated in the program, which launched in September 2024 after prisons reached almost full capacity. launched over a 12-month period, according to Ministry of Justice figures released following a freedom of information request by the BBC.
An official watchdog warned last year that the probation service had “too few staff” with “little experience and training”, putting the public at risk. The public accounts committee found that long-standing staff shortages had left probation staff struggling with problems. “Excessive and unmanageable workloads”In some areas, officers have been working at 126% capacity for several years.
The prison service has only met 26% of its targets for timely appointments and delivery of services in 2024-25; This figure is lower than 50% in 2022. National Audit Office. The Department of Justice said 31% of target probation appointments between 2023 and 2025 did not occur.
The Ministry of Justice said it would recruit 1,300 extra probation officers next year as part of a £700 million investment by 2029, which will also include £100 million for labeling expansion by the end of parliament. “Intimacy tracking technology” aimed at domestic abusers and stalkers will be tested in a £5 million pilot project, the department said.
Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Foundation, said although labeling was a “useful option” as part of license conditions along with supervision and support, it was “not a panacea for reducing reoffending”.
He said the charity was skeptical about the move. “It is difficult to track and could lead to more violations and possibly recalls,” he said. “The equipment is not always reliable and can also hinder genuine resettlement and rehabilitation of offenders because labeling is overly restrictive.”
Victims’ commissioner Claire Waxman said moves to rebuild the probation service were welcome, but although labeling could provide a sense of reassurance, she said she had spoken to many victims who believed their perpetrators were labeled when they were not.
“Technology and innovation are only as effective as the system that supports them,” he said. “Tagging should be supported by swift enforcement when a breach occurs or there is a risk of creating a false sense of security for victims.”
