"Electronically Monitored Curfew Orders: Time for a Review - A Briefing From Napo, The Probation Union" by Harry Fletcher

25th April 2005

Napo calls for the scrapping of the electronically monitored curfew order.  It argues the electronic tagging programme is extraordinarily expensive and ineffective. Report prepared by Harry Fletcher, Assistant General Secretary of Napo.

Among the report's conclusions:

• Electronic monitoring is extraordinarily expensive.  It costs twice as much to tag somebody as to supervise them by a member of the Probation Service.  
• The number of violations prior to breach reported by Probation staff is extremely worrying.  Napo believes this calls into question the integrity of that part of the scheme. 
• More juveniles are reconvicted within 12 months of the end of a tagged order than after a period in a young offender institution. 
• Napo believes that there is still no evidence to suggest that tagging reduces crime. 
• Napo also believes rather than expand the scheme the time is right for politicians to re-evaluate the cost, usefulness and effectiveness of electronic monitoring.
• Both home detention curfews and curfew orders could have been replaced by additional parole and community orders and saved the Government over £110 million without compromising public safety.