Nearly half of criminal tags fitted late, leaving victims with a 'false sense of assurance', inspectors warn

From the Newshound archive · first published 29 September 2026.

Criminals are going unmonitored for as long as five months due to persistent delays in fitting electronic tags, with inspectors cautioning that the system is leaving victims with a 'false sense of assurance'. His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation reviewed 180 offenders subject to electronic monitoring and found that GPS tags were applied punctually in only 55% of cases, while serious breaches went uninvestigated in more than half of relevant instances. Martin Jones CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Probation, cautioned that rolling out tagging programmes before the underlying problems are addressed risks 'overpromising and underdelivering on public protection'.

The failures are about to get WORSE: Labour's early release scheme is due to put over 2,500 prisoners back on the streets before Christmas, the majority of whom will require tags.

Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman said victims need to 'know immediately' if tagging is delayed — because silence gives them a dangerous false sense of security.

Despite the shambles, the Ministry of Justice is pressing ahead with what it calls the 'biggest expansion of tagging in British history', backed by £100 million in funding.