Hundreds of prisoners released early from custody in England and Wales are not being electronically tagged, despite government pledges of the “toughest supervision in British history”, according to MPs who raised the issue during an urgent parliamentary question.
The concern was voiced as authorities prepare to release a second wave of 650 offenders to ease severe overcrowding in prisons. Those being freed include individuals convicted of stalking and violent crimes, who are supposed to be monitored in the community following their release.
During Tuesday’s session in the Commons, Labour MP Clive Efford questioned why Serco, the company contracted to provide tagging services, had failed to fit electronic monitoring devices to prisoners as they left custody. Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy went further, claiming that most prisoners were not being tagged before release, contradicting ministerial assurances.
“The justice secretary told the country that proper safeguards would be put in place with a presumption that all released prisoners would be tagged. He called it the toughest tagging regime in history, but that was nonsense,” Timothy said, according to The Guardian.
Justice minister Jake Richards acknowledged the concerns but defended the system, stating that while there is a presumption of tagging, the final decision remains operational. He added that the government has been working closely with Serco and had seen improvements since March.
Serco defends its performance
Serco has firmly rejected claims of failure, insisting it is “delivering an excellent service” and tagging a record number of people while meeting all contractual requirements. A company spokesperson said the Ministry of Justice had publicly recognised the quality of their performance across four early release schemes.
The spokesperson explained that the company attempts to fit a monitoring device to everyone required to wear one, but when this is not possible or when someone breaches release conditions, the individual is reported to relevant authorities for further action.
However, a senior Prison and Probation Service source told The Guardian that failure to tag offenders as they leave prison can mean a wait of up to a month before tagging occurs. “If we do not tag them as they leave prison, there is a good chance that we won’t tag them at all before they reoffend,” the source warned.
Probation service under pressure
The probation service union, Napo, says its members are under enormous strain from monitoring the influx of released offenders. The union held a pre-ballot meeting on Tuesday to discuss potential strike action over pay and workloads.
Pay negotiations concluded earlier in October with a conditional offer of 5%, which the union’s negotiating committee rejected. Members will be asked to vote on industrial action in a formal ballot launching on 19 October.
According to Napo, probation officers have been required to take on significantly increased workloads since tens of thousands of prisoners began being released early in 2022.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley raised additional concerns about the effectiveness of the tagging system, revealing that more than 95 per cent of those arrested for breaching tagging conditions are simply bailed back into the community with the same conditions and face no sanctions.
Approximately 2,000 offenders, including domestic abusers and violent criminals, are being freed this month, with another 3,000 to follow in stages over the next year. The total was reduced from an initial 6,000 following intervention by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Those convicted of manslaughter, including the killers of PC Andrew Harper who died on duty in 2019, are excluded from the scheme.
The prison population in England and Wales stood at 87,499 on Monday, up from 85,761 on 29 June, representing a 2 per cent increase over three months, according to Ministry of Justice data.
What this means for Poles in the UK
The early release programme affects public safety across England and Wales, including areas with Polish communities. Those living in the UK should be aware that offenders released early are supposed to be subject to electronic tagging and monitoring, though this system is currently facing significant implementation challenges.
If you are a victim of crime or have concerns about a released offender in your area, you can contact the Victim Contact Scheme through the probation service to receive information about an offender’s release. The victims’ commissioner has warned that confidence in the new restriction zones designed to control high-risk offenders is “not yet matched by the reality on the ground”.
Polish residents working in probation, prison services or related criminal justice roles may be directly affected by the increased workload and potential industrial action being considered by the Napo union. Anyone concerned about local crime or suspicious of breaches of release conditions should contact their local police force through the non-emergency 101 number or online reporting systems.
