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Electronic monitoring, also known as tagging, allows offenders who might otherwise be imprisoned to be released on curfew, with restrictions imposed on their liberty. In England and Wales, courts use Curfew Orders as one element of a community sentence, with or without other measures. Prisoners are also released prior to their normal release date on Home Detention Curfews[1]. Electronic monitoring is also used as a component of sentences for juveniles; however this report focuses on their use for adult offenders only. These account for nearly 80% of electronic monitoring cases. Curfew restrictions vary; but generally they require offenders to be at a given "curfew address" for up to 12 hours, usually overnight. Contractors use monitoring equipment, at curfew addresses, and devices attached to offenders' ankles to monitor compliance with curfew conditions.
Curfews can help with the rehabilitation of offenders by allowing them to have contact with their families and to work or attend education or training. They cost some £70 less per day on average than keeping an offender in prison and help limit the prison population.
Any failures in the system can result in dangerous offenders being free to re-offend, because the tag itself cannot prevent offenders from re-offending. In one tragic case a youth offender on tag was convicted of murder. In order to minimise the risks to the public, the system has to be robust enough to prevent the release of offenders who are likely to re-offend whilst on curfew. Satellite tracking, which is being piloted, is likely to be useful in providing evidence of an offender being in a particular location when a crime is committed. The use of electronic monitoring is also being piloted for monitoring the whereabouts of asylum seekers.
Prison governors are responsible for releasing prisoners early under Home Detention Curfew and they make the final decision as to whether prisoners are suitable for early release. Early release of prisoners could be made more efficient, potentially saving up to £9 million a year, whilst retaining the required levels of caution to minimise the risk to the public.
The rehabilitative effect of living on a curfew needs to be further researched. It is likely that it could be improved by giving offenders and their families better information and providing greater access to work, training and education.
Two contractors have managed electronic monitoring since April 2005 when the Home Office re-tendered the contracts. The new contracts, which cost 40% less than the original contracts, include tougher financial deductions for poor performance, which have successfully improved the performance of the contractors.
On the basis of a Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General,[2] the Committee examined the Home Office, the National Offender Management Service and the two contractors on the robustness of electronic monitoring and its use in rehabilitating offenders.
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