Delays in fitting electronic tags putting victims at risk, report finds

Image source, Getty Images By Adina Campbell UK correspondent Published 13 minutes ago Almost half of electronic tags used to track offenders' movements are not fitted on time, with significant delays putting victims in England and Wales at risk, a report has found.

The report by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) says some criminals are waiting up to five months to be fitted with a tag, leading to repeated breaches of court and prison orders.

Only 55% of GPS and radio frequency tags were fitted on time, while 60% of alcohol monitoring tags were fitted promptly, according to the report's findings.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the government was delivering the "biggest expansion of tagging in British history" with £100 million in funding.

Electronic monitoring is used by the Probation Service to track curfews and conditions of a court or prison order.