A report by the Institute for Government found more than 5,000 offenders in England and Wales went unmonitored in the first half of the year because probation staff failed to install electronic tags, while 1,600 tags had no signal for over two weeks.
More than 5,000 offenders in England and Wales went unmonitored during the first half of this year because probation staff failed to install electronic tags, according to a report by the Institute for Government (IfG).
The report also found that 1,600 tags had no signal for more than two weeks due to faults, further highlighting what the IfG described as a crisis in the probation system.
The think tank concluded that “rationing probation supervision” as a result of a shortage of staff meant that sentences imposed by the courts had become “essentially a fiction” for most offenders, according to the Guardian.
The figures point to significant gaps in the monitoring of offenders who are supposed to be supervised under conditions set by the courts. When tags are not fitted or lose signal, authorities may be unable to confirm whether individuals are complying with their sentence conditions.
The IfG’s assessment frames the tagging failures as part of a broader strain on probation resources in England and Wales, with staffing shortages identified as a central factor in the breakdown of supervision.
Why it matters
Electronic tagging is a key tool for enforcing court-ordered conditions and protecting the public, so gaps on this scale raise questions about whether sentences are being properly carried out. The report suggests that staffing shortages are undermining confidence in the probation system in England and Wales.
Frequently asked questions
How many offenders went unmonitored?
According to the Institute for Government report, more than 5,000 offenders went unmonitored in the first half of the year because electronic tags were not installed.
Why did the tags fail?
The report found tags were not fitted due to probation staff failing to install them, which the IfG linked to a lack of staff. Separately, 1,600 tags had no signal for more than two weeks due to faults.
Who produced the report?
The report was produced by the Institute for Government (IfG), which examined the probation system in England and Wales.