Contracted services

Electronic monitoring caseload

Electronic monitoring was introduced in 1999 to support the police, courts, prisons and wider justice system in England and Wales.

It is a way of remotely monitoring and recording information on an individual’s whereabouts or movements, using an electronic device which is normally fitted to a subject’s ankle. The device transmits this information, via a base unit installed in a subject’s residence, to a monitoring centre where it is processed and recorded in case management systems. Staff in the monitoring centre review this information to see whether an individual is complying with the conditions of their curfew or other electronically monitored requirement. Where a subject is not complying, the electronic monitoring provider either acts on this information themselves or provides it to the relevant authority to take the necessary enforcement action.

The figures for 31 March 2019 onwards include details of those on location monitoring tags, which were introduced in November 2018.

The figures also include those fitted with an alcohol monitoring device. Alcohol monitoring was introduced to courts in Wales in October 2020 and expanded to courts in England on 31 March 2021 to support the new community sentencing option, the Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirement (AAMR). For offenders being released from custody whose offending and risk is alcohol related, an Alcohol Monitoring on Licence (AML) additional licence condition was introduced in Wales in November 2021 and rolled out in England in June 2022.

Visit Electronic Monitoring Statistics for data sources and more details.


Electronic monitoring caseload

Total caseload.

Period Electronic monitoring caseload
31 March 2017 11,490
31 March 2018 11,205
31 March 2019 10,771
31 March 2020 10,422
31 March 2021 13,996
31 March 2022 15,394
31 March 2023 17,350
31 March 2024 20,084

31 March 2024

20,084

Update Jun 2024

As at June 2024, the total caseload was 20,893.

Data source

The data source for this measure and more detailed information can be found in the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication (quarterly) publication.

Publication date

Published: 18 July 2024.


Bail

As a condition of court bail.

Period Bail
31 March 2017 2,820
31 March 2018 2,759
31 March 2019 2,543
31 March 2020 3,234
31 March 2021 5,939
31 March 2022 5,583
31 March 2023 6,284
31 March 2024 7,154

31 March 2024

7,154

Update Jun 2024

As at June 2024, the number of court bail orders was 7,411.

Data source

The data source for this measure and more detailed information can be found in the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication (quarterly) publication.

Publication date

Published: 18 July 2024.


Court sentence

As a requirement of a court sentence, including community orders and suspended sentences. These figures also include those with an Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement.

Period Court sentence
31 March 2017 5,862
31 March 2018 4,817
31 March 2019 4,861
31 March 2020 3,949
31 March 2021 5,147
31 March 2022 4,959
31 March 2023 3,369
31 March 2024 3,034

31 March 2024

3,034

Update Jun 2024

As at June 2024, the number of court sentence orders was 3,033.

Data source

The data source for this measure and more detailed information can be found in the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication (quarterly) publication.

Publication date

Published: 18 July 2024.


Post release

As a licence condition following release from custody, including Home Detention Curfew. These figures also include those with an Alcohol Monitoring Requirement.

Period Post release
31 March 2017 2,482
31 March 2018 3,327
31 March 2019 3,096
31 March 2020 2,991
31 March 2021 2,592
31 March 2022 3,167
31 March 2023 4,102
31 March 2024 5,440

31 March 2024

5,440

Update Jun 2024

As at June 2024, the number of orders following release from custody was 5,918.

Data source

The data source for this measure and more detailed information can be found in the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication (quarterly) publication.

Publication date

Published: 18 July 2024.


Immigration

As a condition of immigration bail, managed by the Home Office.

Period Immigration
31 March 2017 298
31 March 2018 263
31 March 2019 233
31 March 2020 194
31 March 2021 270
31 March 2022 1,638
31 March 2023 3,522
31 March 2024 4,371

31 March 2024

4,371

Update Jun 2024

As at June 2024, the number of orders as a condition of immigration bail was 4,446.

Data source

The data source for this measure and more detailed information can be found in the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication (quarterly) publication.

Publication date

Published: 18 July 2024.


Specials

Used to intensively monitor a small number of subjects including: some of the highest risk offenders managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA); those granted bail by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC); and those made subject to Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIMs). In these cases, monitoring may be by way of a Global Positioning System (GPS) device rather than a radio frequency (RF) device.

Period Specials
31 March 2017 28
31 March 2018 39
31 March 2019 38
31 March 2020 54
31 March 2021 48
31 March 2022 47
31 March 2023 73
31 March 2024 85

31 March 2024

85

Update Jun 2024

As at June 2024, the number of special orders was 85.

Data source

The data source for this measure and more detailed information can be found in the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication (quarterly) publication.

Publication date

Published: 18 July 2024.


Alcohol monitoring

Alcohol monitoring was introduced in October 2020 and went live throughout England and Wales on 31 March 2021 to support the new community sentencing option, the Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirement (AAMR). An AAMR may only be used when sentencing for alcohol-related criminal behaviour and it imposes a total ban on drinking alcohol for up to 120 days. Compliance with the ban is monitored electronically using an alcohol device which continuously monitors for the presence of alcohol.

Period Alcohol monitoring
31 March 2021 36
31 March 2022 898
31 March 2023 2,248
31 March 2024 2,862

31 March 2024

2,862

Update Jun 2024

As at June 2024, the total caseload orders was 3,164.

Data source

The data source for this measure and more detailed information can be found in the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication (quarterly) publication.

Publication date

Published: 18 July 2024.