Probation inspector for England and Wales says ‘clunky’ system needs huge increase in staff

The electronic tagging system that will be relied upon to monitor thousands of offenders released early from prison is failing to alert the authorities of potential breaches of conditions, a watchdog has warned.

Martin Jones, HM inspector of probation in England and Wales, said the system relied on hard-pressed police and probation officers looking up individual cases and then deciding whether potential breaches needed to be investigated further.

Andy Burnham will also delay release of thousands of prisoners across England and Wales a month, until October

Rapists, child sexual abusers and groomers will be excluded from early release plans to ease critical prison overcrowding in a major intervention by Andy Burnham.

The prime minister said on Tuesday that he would delay the planned early release of thousands of prisoners across England and Wales by a month until October.