Overview

• The Ministry of Justice announced a six‑month trial starting in October that will see tags fitted in prison at the point of release across six sites, with around 1,200 orders expected.
• Serco staff who currently install devices after release will fit and activate GPS, curfew or alcohol tags in prison reception areas to close the up‑to‑48‑hour surveillance gap.
• Officials said the reforms mark the biggest expansion of electronic monitoring since 1999, with plans to tag up to 22,000 more offenders and defendants annually.
• The government paired the rollout with probation investment of £700 million by 2028 and recruitment of 1,300 additional officers by March 2026 to support supervision.
• Charities including Nacro, the Prison Reform Trust and the Howard League urged scrutiny to ensure tagging is proportionate, supports rehabilitation and is matched by probation capacity.