Howard League responds to National Audit Office report on electronic monitoring

The Howard League for Penal Reform has responded to the National Audit Office’s report on electronic monitoring, published today (Friday 10 July).

HM Prison and Probation Service has expanded electronic monitoring rapidly, with the number of people tagged rising from 13,400 in January 2021 to 28,700 by March 2026. But the report raises concerns that thousands of people who are subject to a tagging requirement may in fact be going unmonitored.

Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “The Ministry of Justice painted itself into a corner by allowing the prison population to rise to record levels with too little thought for the consequences.

“Now that the prison system is bursting at the seams, ministers are putting their faith in a flawed electronic monitoring programme that has expanded rapidly and is about to spread even wider.

“There is overcrowding in probation, just as there is overcrowding in prisons, and public safety depends on this shift being properly resourced and effectively managed. Early signs are not encouraging, as this important report from the National Audit Office makes clear.”

Notes to editors

1. The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the world. It is a national charity working for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison.
2. Electronic monitoring: improving resilience to meet increasing demand will be available from Friday 10 July on the National Audit Office website at: www.nao.org.uk

Contact

Rob Preece
Head of Communications
Tel: +44 (0)7714 604955
Email: [email protected]