Community welcomes tagging expansion

Community has welcomed the government’s announcement of a landmark expansion of electric monitoring and tagging for offenders. The £100m expansion of offender surveillance technology, which will focus on high risk offenders, will be accompanied by a £5 million proximity monitoring technology pilot scheme targeting offenders convicted of serious crimes like domestic abuse and stalking.

The government has also committed to the recruitment of at least 1,300 extra probation officers over the next year.

Responding to the announcement, Community’s National Secretary for the Justice and Custodial Sector Gavin Miller said:

“Community members welcome this announcement, the whole probation and monitoring system has been undervalued and underfunded by previous governments and this commitment begins the process of providing the necessary funding to succeed.

“Our members working in Electronic Monitoring (EMS) are seeing new systems introduced that will modernise processes and help them to succeed in their role, ensuring that public safety is supported and delivered.

“Whilst there is a long journey ahead in terms of addressing issues with probation, monitoring and delays in the court system, the measures being funded and introduced following the sentencing review are encouraging for the long-term prospects of the criminal justice system.”