Marking the ‘biggest electronic tagging expansion in British history’, thousands will be tracked and monitored as part of a £700 million investment to restrict crime by September 2026, ministers have announced. This has raised concerns about the risk of over-reliance on surveillance technologies.
£100 million has been allocated for the expansion of electronic tagging expansion, allowing frontline probation staff to instantly access the location of tagged offenders, helping them to identify escalating risk and intervene early. There is also a presumption that all prison leavers will be tagged.
The government also proposes a £5 million pilot which will introduce proximity monitoring technology, creating an alert when domestic abusers or stalkers approach victims.
Prisons Minister, Lord Timpson, stated that with the combination of new technology and stronger probation workforce, the most dangerous offenders will be under constant scrutiny, providing better protection towards victims and the public.
Pia Sinha, CEO of the Prison Reform Trust, noted that it was ‘not a panacea for reducing reoffending’. She commented that appropriate supervision and support is needed to maximise effectiveness. She also emphasised that the increased burden of monitoring and supervision will be placed on frontline probation officers. She said in a statement: ‘the danger of a presumption towards electronic monitoring is that it could undermine these efforts by increasing the burden of monitoring and supervision on frontline probation officers. It could also lead to an increase in breach of licence conditions and a rise in recalls to custody, placing more, not less, pressure on prisons.
‘Electronic monitoring is not a panacea for reducing reoffending. While it can be a useful option as part of licence conditions, evidence shows it is most effective when combined with appropriate supervision and support. Tagging can an effective tool for enhancing monitoring and supervision, but it also carries the risk of increased stigmatisation which can undermine resettlement and reintegration on release.’
Victims’ Commissioner, Claire Waxman expressed that moves to rebuild the probation service were welcomed, but it must be supported by quick enforcement when a breach has occurred, or it will pose a risk of creating a false sense of security for victims.
Probation staff working with victims of the Domestic Abuse Perpetrators on Licence (DAPOL) Pilot reported back with 83% saying that increased victims’ peace of mind and 75% indicating it has improved victim protection. Timpson describes this series of reforms as a significant step towards a more resilient, targeted and modern Prohibition Service.
