Delayed electronic tagging leaves victims exposed, UK probation report says

Almost half of electronic tags used to monitor offenders in England and Wales are not fitted on time, according to a report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation. The report said some offenders waited up to five months for equipment, creating delays that could expose victims to risk and contribute to repeated breaches of court or prison orders. Only 55% of GPS and radio-frequency tags were installed on time, while 60% of alcohol-monitoring tags were fitted promptly.

As of June 2026, 27,847 people had tagging orders with equipment in England and Wales. The government plans to expand electronic monitoring under the Sentencing Act 2026, which is intended to ease pressure on prisons by managing more offenders in the community. Thousands more prisoners are due to be released early from October, with most expected to require tags.

Martin Jones, HM Chief Inspector of Probation, warned that monitoring could create a false sense of assurance if technology was not matched by effective professional practice. He said expanding the programme without addressing weaknesses risked overpromising on public protection. Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman said victims needed to know immediately if a tag was delayed.

She also raised concerns about how overstretched probation services would respond to breaches. Inspectors found that tag data was underused. Major violations were raised and investigated in only 46% of relevant cases, and there was little evidence that monitoring was consistently used to encourage behaviour change.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said public protection remained the priority. The ministry said it was investing £100 million in the biggest expansion of tagging in British history, alongside a wider £700 million investment in probation and community services.