More than one in five individuals subject to electronic tagging orders in the United Kingdom are not being effectively monitored, raising concerns about public safety, according to recently disclosed Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data. The figures reveal that over 5,000 offenders, suspects, and illegal migrants who are legally required to wear electronic tags are currently not wearing them, amounting to about 15 percent of those under tagging restrictions. Additionally, approximately 1,600 people fitted with tags were found to have devices that failed to transmit location signals properly, accounting for another 6 percent of monitored individuals. Together, these figures suggest that roughly 21 percent of those ordered to be electronically tagged are effectively unmonitored while in the community.

Experts and advocacy groups specializing in domestic abuse and sexual violence expressed alarm at the data, warning that lapses in tagging enforcement heighten risks for victims. They emphasized that many of those who should be tagged include serious offenders such as killers, sex offenders, child rapists, domestic abusers, and stalkers. Electronic tagging is particularly significant in the context of the government’s early release scheme, which plans to free about 4,500 prisoners—including individuals convicted of domestic abuse and stalking offenses—over the next ten months. The government has committed to ensuring that all prisoners released early will wear electronic tags in the community.

Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, chair of Refuge, the largest domestic abuse charity in the UK, voiced serious concerns about the findings. She stressed the importance of victims being informed about any failure to apply or maintain tagging so they can take measures to protect themselves. Barkworth-Nanton also highlighted the timing of these deficiencies, pointing to the imminent expansion of early release measures, where effective tagging is a critical safeguard.

Opposition voices criticized the government’s handling of the tagging system. Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, described the situation as “unacceptable,” lamenting that many breaches of tagging conditions go unenforced. Timothy argued that instead of addressing the weaknesses in the current monitoring system, the government is exacerbating risks by releasing more offenders into the community without reliable supervision.

In response, an MoJ spokesman acknowledged ongoing difficulties but emphasized that the government is undertaking the largest rollout of electronic tagging in the country’s history. Officials maintain that the expansion aims to improve public safety despite the challenges highlighted. The Ministry did not provide specific details on how it intends to resolve the problems with non-use and malfunctioning tags.