Labour’s ‘magic fix’ for the prisons crisis simply isn’t working
Commentator John Rentoul argues that the UK government's reliance on electronic tagging as a solution to prison overcrowding is failing due to technical limitations and high breach rates. He notes that many offenders continue to commit crimes or ignore conditions, challenging the effectiveness of non-custodial alternatives.
Why it matters
This highlights the practical challenges of criminal justice reform and the limitations of technology in managing offender rehabilitation and public safety.
comment Labour’s ‘magic fix’ for the prisons crisis simply isn’t working Electronic tags are not as effective as they need to be – or as I thought they were – as an alternative to keeping criminals locked up, writes John Rentoul
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E very day in London 100 tagging breaches are reported to the police, said Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, on LBC this morning . Of those brought back to the courts, “95 per cent plus are simply bailed back on the same conditions, with zero sanction”.
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