More than half of electronic monitoring tags are being fitted late, leaving victims of crime with no idea whether the people they fear are actually wearing them, according to a new report.
The HM Inspectorate of Probation found that only 55% of GPS and radio frequency tags were fitted on time. Just 60% of alcohol monitoring tags were fitted promptly. In some cases, criminals waited up to five months to be tagged. And one in 10 people waited five months to be tagged after the required time.
The findings come as the government expands tagging programmes at a cost of £100 million. The inspectorate’s report raises serious questions about whether that expansion is actually making anyone safer.
The Numbers Behind the Delay
the BBC’s report, published by HM Inspectorate of Probation, examined how quickly tagging orders were being carried out across England and Wales. As of June 2026, a total of 27,847 people had been given tagging orders with equipment attached.
But the speed of those installations was patchy. Some criminals waited up to five months to be fitted with a tag. In some cases, there were waits of more than two weeks for the equipment itself.
The report found that data from the tags was also underused. Major violations were raised and explored in only 46% of relevant cases. That means the information the devices collect — location, alcohol consumption, compliance with curfews — is not being turned into action fast enough.
Martin Jones CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Probation, put the stakes bluntly. He said electronic monitoring creates a real danger of a false sense of assurance if not matched by effective professional practice.
He added that expanding tagging programmes without addressing their weaknesses risks overpromising and underdelivering on public protection.
What Late Tagging Means for Victims
Claire Waxman OBE, Victims’ Commissioner, said the delays matter because they feed into a wider problem. Victims need to know immediately if tagging was delayed, she said, because this could give a false sense of security.
She said there are real concerns over how overstretched probation services would handle a robust response in the event of breaches.
The report’s findings suggest that concern is justified. With only 55% of GPS and radio frequency tags fitted on time, and only 60% of alcohol monitoring tags fitted promptly, the system is failing to deliver the immediate feedback victims expect.
Waxman’s point is simple: if a tag is not on an offender’s ankle, the public protection it was meant to provide does not exist. And when victims are told a tag is active, but the installation is late, they are left in a state of uncertainty.
The Government’s Case for Expansion
The Ministry of Justice responded to the report with its own framing. It said the government is delivering the biggest expansion of tagging in British history, backed by £100 million in funding.
Tag install rates are up by nearly 50% since 2024, the ministry said. There is a £700 million investment in probation and community services overall.
The ministry points to the scale of the investment and the rising installation rates. The inspectorate points to the late fittings and the underused data. Both are reporting the same programme; they just see it from different directions.
How the Expansion Was Set Out
Plans to expand electronic monitoring were announced earlier this year as part of the Sentencing Act 2026. The legislation sets out a new path for early prisoner release, with tagging as the condition attached to it.
Thousands more prisoners will be released early from October as part of the new law, most requiring tagging. That means the system will face a test at a moment when its capacity is already strained.
The timing is notable. The inspectorate’s report documents late fittings and underused data. Adding thousands of new cases on top of that strain is a significant risk.
The ministry’s £100 million funding supports the expansion. The inspectorate’s report documents the late fittings and underused data.
The Underused Data Problem
The report also found that data from the tags was underused. Major violations were raised and explored in only 46% of relevant cases.
This is a separate issue from the late fittings, though it feeds into the same problem. If a tag is working but nobody looks at the data it produces, the tag is doing nothing. And if the data is looked at but the system is understaffed, the response to a breach may be slow.
The inspectorate’s warning is that expanding tagging programmes without addressing their weaknesses risks overpromising and underdelivering on public protection. The false sense of assurance comes from the belief that a tag solves the problem, when the evidence suggests the tag is often late and the data is often ignored.
Key Facts From the Report
- Only 55% of GPS and radio frequency tags were fitted on time
- 60% of alcohol monitoring tags were fitted promptly
- Some criminals waited up to five months to be fitted with a tag
- In some cases, there were waits of more than two weeks for the equipment
- One in 10 people waited five months to be tagged after the required time
- A total of 27,847 people were given tagging orders with equipment as of June 2026
- Data from the tags was underused, with major violations raised and explored in only 46% of relevant cases
- Tag install rates are up by nearly 50% since 2024
- There is a £700 million investment in probation and community services overall
What Happens Next
The inspectorate’s report raises questions about whether the current system can deliver the protection it promises. The ministry’s response is that the expansion is on track and the funding is in place.
But the report’s findings suggest the system is not ready for the scale of the challenge ahead. The October releases will test whether the capacity exists to fit tags promptly, monitor data effectively, and respond quickly to breaches.
The inspectorate’s warning is that expanding tagging programmes without addressing their weaknesses risks overpromising and underdelivering on public protection. The false sense of assurance comes from the belief that a tag solves the problem, when the evidence suggests the tag is often late and the data is often ignored.
The report is a warning, not a verdict. It identifies a system that is capable of doing the job but currently unable to deliver it consistently. The question now is whether the government listens before the October releases bring the strain to a head.
The inspectorate has done its work. The ministry has made its case. The public, and the victims whose safety depends on this system, deserve to know whether the promises hold up in practice.
Source material: “Delays in fitting electronic tags putting victims at risk, report finds,” the BBC.
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