The government is considering the increased use of ankle tagging and curfews as part of a strategy to tackle the country’s prison overcrowding crisis, according to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

Cooper criticised the previous Conservative government during an interview with Sky News, claiming it left the UK with a ‘complete prison crisis.’ A report by the National Audit Office revealed that overcrowding was partly due to a failure to match longer prison sentences and an increase in police numbers with the necessary prison capacity.

While the government plans to expand prison places, Cooper suggested that ankle tagging and curfews could help manage offenders without adding to the prison population. The increased use of ankle tagging and curfews could raise concerns about the potential erosion of fundamental rights, particularly if these measures are widely applied without clear legal safeguards. While these options are designed to ease prison pressure, critics say their expanded use might blur the line between punishment and surveillance.

This proposal comes on the heels of the government’s sentencing review, which aims to find long-term solutions to prison overcrowding. The review, headed by former Justice Secretary, David Gauke, will explore whether short-term custodial sentences should be replaced by community sentences. Such alternatives could signal a shift in the UK’s justice system toward a greater emphasis on rehabilitation but could also spark legal debates over the adequacy of community-based sanctions in ensuring justice.