Electronic Tag Failures Leave 5,000 Offenders Unmonitored in England 2026

Electronic tag failures left more than 5,000 offenders unmonitored in England and Wales in the first half of the year, according to a damning report by the Institute for Government (IfG). The independent thinktank found that probation staff failed to install tags on thousands of offenders, while 1,600 tags had no signal for over two weeks due to faults. The report concludes that staff shortages have led to "rationing probation supervision," making court-imposed sentences "essentially a fiction" for most offenders.

The Scale of the Probation Crisis

The IfG's findings paint a stark picture of a probation system in meltdown. More than 5,000 offenders were left completely unmonitored because electronic tags were never fitted. Meanwhile, 1,600 tags that were installed failed to transmit a signal for at least two weeks, leaving authorities blind to offenders' whereabouts. These failures are attributed to chronic understaffing and a lack of resources, which have forced probation officers to prioritise only the highest-risk cases.

Cassia Rowland, associate director at the IfG and author of the report, said: "It's hard to set out just how demoralised and unhappy a lot of probation staff are. They feel everything is really chaotic, all of these changes are being flung on to them, they're worried about their personal safety and the public protection risk of the people they're managing."

Impact of the 2026 Sentencing Act

The report warns that the situation is set to worsen when the 2026 Sentencing Act is fully implemented. The act reduces the release point for many sentences, meaning most offenders will spend the final third of their sentence on licence without any active supervision. This, the IfG argues, risks further undermining public trust in the criminal justice system and making sentences even more convoluted and opaque, including to victims.

"The sentences courts are imposing are having less and less relevance to the time people actually spend in prison or under supervision," Rowland added. "This is a recipe for disillusionment among victims and the public alike."

Key Takeaways

• Over 5,000 offenders went unmonitored in the first half of the year due to uninstalled electronic tags.
• 1,600 tags had no signal for more than two weeks because of technical faults.
• Staff shortages have led to "rationing probation supervision," making sentences "essentially a fiction."
• The 2026 Sentencing Act will reduce supervision further, with most offenders spending the final third of their sentence unsupervised.
• Public trust in the criminal justice system is at risk, with victims and the public losing confidence.

Comparing Tag Failures and Their Consequences

What This Means for Public Safety

The implications for public safety are severe. Offenders who should be monitored may instead be free to reoffend without detection. The report highlights that probation staff are already overwhelmed, and the added pressure of new sentencing rules will only exacerbate the problem. Without urgent investment in staffing and technology, the probation system risks becoming unfit for purpose.

Rowland emphasised that the human cost is significant: "Probation staff are deeply worried about their personal safety and the risk posed by the people they manage. They feel set up to fail."

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