HM Inspectorate of Probation

ALT Electronic monitoring in practice: The police response to electronically monitored bail conditions and the use of electronic monitoring on community sentences and post-release licences

ALT Quote from Martin Jones CBE HM Chief Inspector of Probation, "Electronic monitoring has real potential to strengthen public protection and support rehabilitation, and we found committed practitioners making the most of the tools available to them. If used properly, these tools have the potential to be guard-rails, steering an offender away from the wrong choices. But technology on its own cannot deliver these benefits. We found that many of the weaknesses we identified in 2022 persist today, with monitoring data not always well understood or used to best effect, and basic questions about who is and isn't being monitored still requiring significant manual effort to answer.”

ALT Key findings: Inspectors found dedicated officers, staff and probation practitioners working hard to respond to this growing demand. However, the inspection identified serious gaps in guidance, systems and information-sharing. National guidance for police forces on electronically monitored bail breaches was limited, and practices varied considerably between fieldwork forces. In the cases examined, alleged breaches did not consistently lead to structured consideration of risk. Poor record-keeping also made it difficult for forces to understand the demand they face and the effectiveness of their response.

ALT Within probation, regional electronic monitoring teams have improved oversight and governance, but practitioners must navigate a growing and complex range of technologies and systems. Monitoring data is often underused, and many of the challenges identified in a 2022 inspection remain evident today. The report also raises concerns about fairness, finding that His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service have yet to develop mature arrangements for understanding whether the use and outcomes of electronic monitoring differ across protected characteristics.

ALT : Lancashire Youth Justice Service (YJS). Overall rating: ‘Good’. A picture of the Chief Inspector of Probation with a quote that says "This inspection found the YJS was delivering consistently high-quality work with children and victims during a period of significant challenge and scrutiny. Strength in leadership, committed staff, and effective practice provide firm foundations for further development. Given the significant scrutiny they have faced, staff and leaders in Lancashire deserve credit for ensuring a continued focus on the day-to-day work of the YJS to help keep children and their communities safe.

ALT A picture of the Chief Inspector of Probation with a quote that says "At Kew AP we found a service that had made progress following a prolonged period of instability, supported by improved leadership and governance and effective work with partner agencies to manage risk and protect the public. However, further work is now needed to ensure residents receive consistent opportunities to address their needs, reduce their risk of reoffending and prepare for successful resettlement.”

ALT A picture of the Chief Inspector of Probation with a quote that says Tameside YJS and the broader partnership had faced a range of challenges which had impacted on the delivery of services to children and victims. Senior leaders knew their service well, and a strengthening in stability and strategic grip meant there were foundations on which to build consistent effective practice. However, improvement in the commitment of the partnership and a maintained focus on driving improvement at pace were also required.”

ALT A picture of the Chief Inspector of Probation Martin Jones with a quote that says practitioners at Calderdale YJS worked hard to understand the children in their care and to support them to achieve positive change. However, we found inconsistencies in some aspects of planning and assessing activity, which resulted in an overall rating of requires improvement.

ALT Greater Manchester Multi-Agency Public Protection Team slide featuring a quote about shifting from reviewing past incidents to focusing on next steps to manage risk and protect potential victims; footer labels it an Effective Practice Spotlight from national inspection findings.

ALT Slide titled "Complex Case Support: building confidence and support networks for practitioners managing complex risk," showing a quote urging practitioners to "zoom out, take a breath and review the case and its complexities," with a footer noting an Effective Practice Spotlight.

ALT Merseyside's automated domestic abuse information sharing system. "from the get-go we have that information to help us inform our assessments. Practitioners are getting real time information about alerts, and they can be confident about decisions they take."