Probation failures leave 5,000 offenders unmonitored in England and Wales

A report by the Institute for Government reveals that over 5,000 offenders went unmonitored in the first half of the year due to probation staff failing to install electronic tags, and 1,600 tags had no signal for over two weeks. The findings highlight a systemic crisis in the probation system, with staff shortages leading to 'rationing' of supervision, undermining court-imposed sentences. This is a domestic governance failure with implications for public safety and judicial integrity.