Prisoners released without GPS tags leave survivor in fear
A new inspection report reveals that nearly half of offenders are not monitored promptly after release, prompting a union call for prison officers to fit devices.
By Lauren Bello ·
Michelle, a 38-year-old domestic violence survivor, is sleeping on the floor of her static caravan because her former partner has been out of prison for weeks without a tracking device. Her ex, who kicked in her front door and threatened her with a knife, was released on 15 October. Police promised a GPS tag would be fitted to monitor his movements. That tag has not been installed.
A report released on Thursday by the chief inspectors for probation and prisons states that nearly half of offenders are not tagged promptly upon release. In one in every ten cases, the device is fitted up to five months later. The report found that the private sector firm Serco is contracted to fit these tags after offenders leave prison. It concluded that Serco met performance targets by attempting to fit the devices rather than ensuring they were actually installed and working.
Michelle was first assaulted in early 2024 by her former partner, a crack cocaine user and the father of her three-year-old son. The next day, he returned to her five-bedroom rented home, kicked the door in, and held her down by her hair while waving a knife. Her 16-year-old son had to intervene to drag him off her. He was convicted of two counts of assault by beating and one count of affray, receiving a 38-month sentence in November 2024.
He was released in February 2025 with an order to stay away from Michelle’s home and her town. He breached these probation terms in July 2025, then again in April and August of this year. Photos uploaded by him and his friends showed him at parties and pubs in towns where he was barred. Michelle reported two of these breaches. The man was recalled to prison for 56 days on both occasions.
The Prison Officers’ Association, known as the POA, wrote to Justice Secretary Alex Norris this month. Mark Fairhurst, the national chair of the union, proposed that prison officers be trained to fit and activate electronic tags before prisoners are freed. He cited the documented performance issues with the current system and the availability of an experienced public sector workforce as reasons for a formal assessment of insourcing.
Vikki Slade, the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, raised Michelle’s case in parliament on Monday. She described the current practice as utterly crazy. She demanded to know why domestic violence survivors with children are not receiving more protection. The watchdog’s report identified that one main reason for missing tags is that offenders are not at their agreed address when contractors arrive. This issue accounted for a third of the 5,000 criminals in the community without tags.
The Ministry of Justice said it inherited a justice system in crisis after a decade of underinvestment. It stated it is making tough decisions to fix the system, including the biggest ever expansion of electronic monitoring. The ministry said it is tagging more offenders before they leave the prison gates. A spokesperson for Serco said the firm attempts to fit a device to every person required to wear one. It noted that where a device cannot be fitted, the individual is reported to the relevant authorities for further action.
