Electronic tagging is one of those subjects that sounds wonderfully straightforward.
Fit someone with a device, set the conditions, and monitor whether they comply.
The latest Ministry of Justice figures show that 27,496 people were assigned electronic-monitoring equipment at the end of September 2026. Of those, 10,290 were in the post-release monitoring category.
That’s a considerable number of people whose freedom is subject to electronic monitoring.
But what exactly are we measuring?
A tag can help authorities check whether someone is at a particular location or complying with certain restrictions, depending on the type of monitoring.
What it cannot tell us is whether that person has somewhere safe to live, whether they’re finding work, or whether they’re managing to rebuild their life.
Electronic monitoring can be a useful part of supervision. It may help enforce conditions and provide reassurance.
But it isn’t a substitute for the practical support people may need when leaving prison.
I think we need to distinguish between monitoring somebody’s movements and helping them move forward.
Both may have a place in the criminal justice system. They simply aren’t the same thing.
Source: Ministry of Justice, Electronic Monitoring Statistics, 22 October 2026. www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electronic-monitoring-statistics-publication-september-2026/electronic-monitoring-statistics-publication-england-and-wales-september-2026
Lou Myx is the author of Crime Doesn’t Pay, a memoir of life inside HMP Bronzefield and HMP East Sutton Park. Read more at loumyx.com.
Fit someone with a device, set the conditions, and monitor whether they comply.
The latest Ministry of Justice figures show that 27,496 people were assigned electronic-monitoring equipment at the end of September 2026. Of those, 10,290 were in the post-release monitoring category.
That’s a considerable number of people whose freedom is subject to electronic monitoring.
But what exactly are we measuring?
A tag can help authorities check whether someone is at a particular location or complying with certain restrictions, depending on the type of monitoring.
What it cannot tell us is whether that person has somewhere safe to live, whether they’re finding work, or whether they’re managing to rebuild their life.
Electronic monitoring can be a useful part of supervision. It may help enforce conditions and provide reassurance.
But it isn’t a substitute for the practical support people may need when leaving prison.
I think we need to distinguish between monitoring somebody’s movements and helping them move forward.
Both may have a place in the criminal justice system. They simply aren’t the same thing.
Source: Ministry of Justice, Electronic Monitoring Statistics, 22 October 2026. www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electronic-monitoring-statistics-publication-september-2026/electronic-monitoring-statistics-publication-england-and-wales-september-2026
Lou Myx is the author of Crime Doesn’t Pay, a memoir of life inside HMP Bronzefield and HMP East Sutton Park. Read more at loumyx.com.
Leave a Reply