A recent investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) indicates that nearly 9,000 individuals across England and Wales who are mandated to wear electronic monitoring devices currently lack them. These individuals include prisoners released from custody and violent offenders who require ongoing oversight. As of March 2026, prison authorities were evaluating approximately 8,900 files involving people with active monitoring orders who were not equipped with tags.
The Ministry of Justice has contested this assessment, stating their own records suggest the number of unmonitored subjects is closer to 5,450. They argue the NAO figure accounts for a broader scope of cases currently under review for potential tagging requirements. Regardless of the exact total, the NAO has characterized the existing infrastructure as inefficient and potentially risky to public safety.
Electronic monitoring is utilized to enforce curfews and court-ordered conditions, using location, curfew, or alcohol-sensing technology. The NAO noted that while some of the discrepancies may result from administrative errors, there remains a significant number of people who are slipping through the system entirely. Common reasons for these gaps include fitting delays, equipment removal during arrests, or failures to initiate monitoring when it was legally required.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, emphasized that the system is failing to operate effectively, which creates tangible dangers for the public. The watchdog also highlighted that police and probation services frequently struggle with limited capacity and a lack of data to address breaches promptly. Furthermore, a shortage of probation officers exacerbates these pressures, leaving staff concerned about their ability to manage the influx of offenders as the government expands the use of community-based sentencing under the Sentencing Act 2026.
While the private contractor Serco has met certain timeliness targets, the audit revealed a low success rate in actually securing tags on individuals during initial visits. In response, the Ministry of Justice stated they are committed to fixing these legacy issues through a £100 million investment in technology and strengthened victim protection systems. They also pointed to significant recruitment efforts within the Probation Service to improve surveillance of dangerous offenders.
