Nearly half of all electronic tags deployed to monitor offenders' movements in England and Wales are not being fitted within required timeframes, creating a significant gap in public protection, according to a damning inspection report.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) found that only 55% of GPS and radio frequency tags were fitted on time, while 60% of alcohol monitoring tags met timeliness targets. In the most severe cases, offenders waited up to five months after their court or prison order to receive a tag, during which time they remained unmonitored and able to breach their conditions repeatedly.
A total of 27,847 people were subject to tagging orders with equipment in England and Wales as of June 2026. The delays have prompted serious concerns from victims' advocates and probation inspectors about whether the expansion of electronic monitoring is delivering genuine public protection or merely creating an illusion of safety.
Why are tags being fitted late?
The report identified multiple factors contributing to installation delays. In some instances, individuals failed to make themselves available for fitting appointments, while equipment shortages and staffing constraints within the Probation Service also played a role. More than one in ten people waited the full five months after their required fitting date, while others experienced waits of more than two weeks for equipment to arrive.
According to the Ministry of Justice's March 2026 announcement, the government committed £100 million to expand electronic monitoring significantly over the following three years, including new GPS and alcohol-monitoring capabilities. However, the inspection suggests that rapid expansion has outpaced the operational capacity to deliver it effectively.
What do inspectors say about the risks?
Martin Jones CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Probation, warned that electronic monitoring risks creating false confidence in public safety if not properly implemented.
There is a real danger that electronic monitoring creates a false sense of assurance if the technology is not matched by effective professional practice,he said, adding that
expanding tagging programmes without addressing their weaknesses risks overpromising and underdelivering on public protection.
Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman OBE stressed that victims must be informed immediately if tagging is delayed, as such gaps could provide offenders with unmonitored periods. She also raised concerns about whether probation services, already stretched, would be able to mount a
robust responsewhen breaches occur.
How effectively is tag data being used?
Beyond installation delays, the inspection found that data from electronic tags is frequently underutilised. Major violations detected by the monitoring equipment were investigated and explored in only 46% of relevant cases. Inspectors discovered little evidence that electronic monitoring was being deployed consistently to encourage behaviour change or to manage risk, safeguard the public, and protect victims through strict controls on offenders' movements.
The report suggests that even when tags are fitted on time, the technology alone does not guarantee effective supervision without accompanying professional oversight and intervention.
What happens when offenders breach their tags?
Those who breach their electronic monitoring orders face escalating consequences. Offenders may be returned immediately to prison, issued a new court order, or given a formal warning. However, the inspection raises questions about whether these responses are being applied consistently and swiftly enough to deter further breaches.
What is the government's response?
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson stated that
public protectionremains the government's priority and defended the expansion programme. They said the government is
delivering the biggest expansion of tagging in British history, backed by £100 million in funding, with tag install rates up by nearly 50% since 2024.The spokesperson added that this forms part of a broader £700 million investment in probation and community services, which has included recruiting 2,300 trainee probation officers over the past two years, with a further 1,300 planned for the current year.
The expansion is tied to the government's wider strategy to make electronic monitoring a standard component of intensive supervision for prisoners released early under the Sentencing Act 2026. Thousands of offenders are scheduled to be released early from October onwards under the new law, and most will require tagging as a condition of their release.
However, a national news report noted that in February 2026, while the monitoring contractor Serco met its 95% timeliness target for supervision visits, it fitted tags on only 62% of people within two attempts. The same report indicated that Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service was reviewing approximately 8,900 cases in March 2026—equivalent to 24% of those required to be tagged—to identify unmonitored offenders.
What is the broader context?
Electronic monitoring has expanded rapidly since 2021 as part of the government's strategy to manage prison overcrowding by supervising more offenders in the community. The National Audit Office noted in its 2026 assessment that approximately 29,000 people were being tagged at that time, reflecting the scale of the programme's growth.
The Sentencing Act 2026, announced earlier this year, aims to ease prison pressures by managing more offenders in the community through tagging and other monitoring measures. The legislation is expected to result in thousands of additional prisoners being released early, with electronic monitoring serving as a key tool for managing their supervision in the community.
What happens next?
The full HM Inspectorate of Probation report on electronic monitoring is scheduled for publication on 26 October 2026, following the early briefing that prompted this investigation. The Ministry of Justice also indicated that a new pilot programme to fit tags before offenders leave prison was due to launch in the months following its March 2026 announcement, potentially addressing some of the delays identified in the inspection.
Key Facts
- Only 55% of GPS and radio frequency tags and 60% of alcohol monitoring tags were fitted within required timeframes, according to the HMIP report
- Some offenders waited up to five months after their court or prison order to receive a tag, remaining unmonitored during that period
- Tag data violations were investigated in only 46% of relevant cases, suggesting underutilisation of monitoring technology
- The government is investing £100 million in electronic monitoring expansion as part of a broader £700 million probation investment
- Thousands of prisoners will be released early from October 2026 under the Sentencing Act 2026, most requiring electronic tags
