Justice Secretary Alex Norris has acknowledged that too many prisoners are being released early without electronic tags fitted, raising concerns about how effectively offenders are being monitored after leaving custody.
Speaking to the House of Lords Justice Committee, Norris admitted that the number of prisoners fitted with tags before their release was not at the level the government wanted.
His comments came after peers questioned the effectiveness of electronic monitoring under Labour’s early release scheme, warning that offenders could be leaving prison without the public or victims knowing where they are.
The government has presented electronic tagging as a central part of its early release programme, arguing that the devices allow authorities to monitor offenders while they serve the remainder of their sentences in the community.
Baroness Buscombe Questions Why Prisoners Leave Without Tags
Conservative peer Baroness Buscombe, a qualified barrister, challenged the government’s decision to run a pilot scheme aimed at ensuring prisoners released on licence are tagged before leaving custody.
She described the arrangement as extraordinary, questioning why authorities needed a pilot when the government had made electronic monitoring a key part of its release policy.
Buscombe also referred to reports that some prisoners receive appointments for tag installation days or weeks after their release. In some cases, probation officers reportedly discover that offenders have absconded before the devices can be fitted.
She raised concerns about foreign nationals awaiting deportation, questioning where they would go during the period between release and tagging.
Buscombe warned that some could return to organised criminal networks rather than remain at an address while waiting for monitoring equipment.
She asked Norris to provide assurances that the government intended to move beyond the pilot and ensure everyone released on licence was tagged before leaving prison.
Norris Says More Prisoners Should Be Tagged Before Release
Responding to the concerns, Norris accepted that electronic monitoring could only work effectively when the devices were actually fitted.
He said the government’s performance in this area was improving but acknowledged that it remained below the desired standard.
The Justice Secretary agreed that fitting tags before prisoners leave custody was preferable and said the government intended to increase the number of offenders monitored in this way.
Buscombe, however, warned that prisoners released without electronic monitoring could effectively disappear from authorities’ oversight. She said the public should be warned about the situation.
Inspection Report Highlights Delays in Tag Installation
The concerns follow a September report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation, which identified significant delays in fitting electronic tags used to monitor offenders in England and Wales.
The report found that only 55 per cent of GPS and radio frequency tags were installed on time.
Almost half of the devices used to track offenders’ movements were therefore not fitted within the required timeframe. In some cases, offenders waited as long as five months before receiving their tags.
The inspection warned that delays in electronic monitoring could place victims at risk.
Tags are used to alert probation officers when offenders breach the conditions of their release. These restrictions can include curfews and bans on entering particular geographical areas.
Most prisoners released under the early release scheme are expected to require electronic monitoring.
Another 650 Prisoners Released Under Labour Scheme
The discussion took place after approximately 650 prisoners were released early on Tuesday in the third phase of Labour’s programme to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
The latest group included people convicted of offences such as affray, burglary, domestic abuse and stalking. Some had served only one-third of their sentences before being released.
Two earlier phases last month resulted in the early release of approximately 1,350 prisoners.
The government expects around 4,500 offenders to be released through the scheme. The final group, comprising some of the most serious offenders who received prison sentences exceeding 12 years, is scheduled for release on June 8 next year.
The programme’s reliance on electronic tagging has placed the effectiveness and timing of monitoring arrangements under renewed scrutiny following the Justice Secretary’s admission.
