Britain's Ministry of Justice has admitted that it did not fit monitoring devices to prisoners who were released early, Sky News reported on Thursday.
Authorities believe the number of people released without the required tags out of the estimated 1,700 inmates is “in the hundreds,” the source said. said Guardian. (Related article: State judge criticized for releasing hundreds of people accused of violent crimes)
“Prisons can only hold a few hundred people. If they're full, police can't make arrests. To free up space, we're shifting the proportion of time some criminals spend in prison,” the Ministry of Justice tweeted about overcrowding.
Prisons can only hold a few hundred people, and if they are full the police will not be able to make arrests.
To create space, we are changing the proportion of time some offenders spend in prison.
Swipe ➡️ to see how the government is keeping people safe
— Ministry of Justice (@MoJGovUK) September 10, 2024
The Ministry of Justice blamed Serco, the security company that took over the government's tagging contract, for the failure, Sky News reported. Reported.
“Tagging is a key part of our strategy to keep victims safe and reduce reoffending, and the number of offenders currently being tagged is at an all-time high,” a Ministry of Justice spokesman said. “We are holding Serco to account for the delays in tagging some offenders and will be fining the company if this is not resolved quickly.”
“The question is what kind of job has HMPPS done? [HM Prison and Probation Service] “What proactively did Serco prepare for increased demand for tags and how has Serco responded? Why has Serco been awarded a new contract by HMPPS when they have previously failed to provide tags and have been investigated by the Serious Fraud Office?” asked Tania Bassett, national officer for the probation officers union, according to The Guardian.
'Hundreds' of prisoners released early in England and Wales not tagged https://t.co/oH8HvZ1KU2
— The Guardian News (@guardiannews) September 19, 2024
According to Sky News, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said the government prioritises “tagging domestic violence offenders” and that release conditions are being respected. Prisons Minister James Timpson met with Serco bosses on Thursday to discuss the issue.
“Since taking over the electronic monitoring contract in May, we have been working hard to reduce the number of people waiting to be tagged. We are working closely with the Ministry of Justice and Probation to quickly fit tags and prioritise cases based on their risk profile. If an individual is not present when contacted to be tagged, the turnaround time may be longer. We are prioritising repeat visits to get people fitted with tags as soon as possible,” Serco said in a statement.
A government source told Sky News there was no shortage of tags.
