Tagging explained
"Curfews with electronic monitoring, in combination with supervision, offer the courts a robust and effective community order…” (Assistant Chief Probation Officer, West Yorkshire)
Electronic Tagging is a cost effective, reliable and robust means of monitoring, controlling and modifying the behaviour of offenders in the community. As a method of resettling prisoners back into the community or as a means of punishment and restriction of liberty for community orders, tagging provides an effective way to monitor offender curfews
What is Electronic Tagging and how does it work?
- Tagging is used to ensure compliance with curfews and is used throughout the criminal justice system - as part of bail conditions, as requirements in community orders or as conditions of release from prison.
- The equipment consists of a tag and a monitoring unit and is based on radio frequency technology. The tag is fitted to the subject’s ankle and the monitoring unit is located in the home or other place of curfew. The tag acts as a transmitter and sends signals to the monitoring unit, which in turn sends signals to our Control Centre.
- All movements in and out of the home and other activities such as removal of the tag or tampering with the equipment are reported to the Control Centre. This report informs monitoring staff at the Control Centre exactly what activity has taken place for instance if the subject has left home during curfew, both the time of leaving and the subsequent time the subject returns home will be reported.
- The computer system is programmed to flag up to monitoring staff any event, which constitutes a violation of the curfew, by an individual offender. The operations network provides a 24-hour immediate response to violations.
Please click here to download a copy of our explanatory leaflet: 
tagging leaflet
Trusted Technology
The technology associated with tagging has been proven to be robust and reliable. It has been thoroughly tested and the equipment is constantly updated to take advantage of the latest technology as well as ensuring that it remains tamperproof.
Various tamper mechanisms mean that the offender cannot remove the tag or move the monitoring unit without this being reported to the Control Centre. An active programme of new product development ensures that both our support technology and monitoring equipment is state-of-the-art. We are a fully integrated provider of electronic monitoring services.
We were the first Electronic Monitoring provider to achieve ISO 902:1994 and the transition to the new standard ISO 9001:2000 and we aim to offer a consistently reliable service to the Courts, Probation Service, Prison Authorities and Youth Offending Teams.
Supporting Offender Rehabilitation
There is increasing evidence to suggest that electronically monitored curfew requirements, when imposed alongside a supervision requirement, can contribute to a reduction in offending. Tagging also provides clear and immediate evidence as to whether the offender is complying with their curfew, to enable quick action to be taken if the offender fails to comply. This gives reassurance to communities that the behaviour of offenders is being closely monitored.
Key Benefits
- Effective means of disrupting offending patterns.
- A cost-efficient option to a custodial sentence.
- Offers flexibility to adapt curfews to the requirements of individual offender management programmes.
- Offenders get to spend more time with their families which in many cases has positive outcomes.
- Increases public protection from offenders released back into the Community and gives a level of protection to victims of crime from specific offenders.
- Has been shown to have a positive impact on offender behaviour whilst enabling offenders to maintain or seek employment or continue with educational studies.