## Electronic Tagging System Plagued by Failures, Investigation Reveals
A concerning investigation has uncovered widespread issues within England and Wales’s electronic tagging system, leaving potentially dangerous offenders unmonitored for extended periods. The findings, brought to light through an undercover journalist’s experience working with the Electronic Monitoring Service (EMS), reveal a chaotic situation where criminals are exploiting loopholes and the system struggles to keep track of those it is meant to oversee.
The investigation, conducted by Channel 4 Dispatches, highlighted several alarming instances:
- A convicted murderer was able to remain untagged for over two months after claiming his legs were too swollen to accommodate an ankle monitor.
- Another offender allegedly bragged about removing their tag and going on holiday, flaunting the situation to nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok.
- A drug dealer reportedly continued running a county lines operation while racking up over 200 violations of his electronic tag conditions.
These failures occur within a system currently overseeing approximately 20,000 individuals, with the government aiming to significantly expand this number.
The Undercover Experience
Lucy Richards, an undercover journalist hired as a field monitoring officer by Serco – the company contracted to manage the tagging program – documented numerous errors and inconsistencies. During her four-week placement, she encountered cases where offenders were not tagged within the mandated three-day timeframe. She was frequently dispatched to incorrect addresses, and expressed concern that “criminals were running the show.”
One particularly troubling case involved John Potter, a convicted murderer who spent at least two months without an electronic tag after citing leg swelling as a barrier to wearing the device. Potter, serving a minimum of 12 and a half years for fatally stabbing his flatmate in 2007, previously escaped from an open prison before surrendering himself.
The investigation also revealed:
- Data was being manually transferred between systems, leading to incorrect address entries.
- An employee admitted to accidentally sending tagging officers to the home of a deceased individual, causing distress to their grieving relatives.
Systemic Issues and Backlogs
Freedom of Information requests revealed that on one day alone in October last year, the backlog of untagged individuals reached 4,726 – a figure Serco attempted to downplay as an outlier.
The government had previously asserted that all prisoners released under its early release scheme would be tagged within 53 days. However, the Dispatches investigation found that one burglar freed under this initiative went a full 78 days without being fitted with a tag.
Serco and Government Responses
Serco’s chief executive, Anthony Kirby, acknowledged the challenges of inheriting a large backlog and increased monitoring demands. He stated: “Despite these challenges, we fully acknowledge the responsibility we have to get it right and are committed to protecting public safety… Serco has invested heavily in this contract and has not made a penny in profit to date.”
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) deemed Serco’s performance “unacceptable” and confirmed that ministers had met with the company’s leadership demanding improvements. A spokesperson stated: “We will hold Serco to account, with further financial penalties imposed should our expectations not be met.”
The MoJ has implemented measures to address the situation, including increased probation officer visits, placement in staffed accommodations, and referrals for drug and alcohol support services.
Despite these efforts, the investigation suggests a deeply flawed system where oversight is lacking, and public safety may be compromised. The future of the contract with Serco remains uncertain as the government seeks to address these critical failures within its electronic tagging program.
