Number of children in Essex wearing ankle tags doubles

Figures show there were 33 people aged 17 and under in Essex wearing ankle tags by April 2023

The number of children wearing ankle tags in Essex more than doubled in a year, figures have revealed.

Between 31 March 2022 and the same date in 2023, the number of tagged young offenders aged 17 and under increased from 15 to 33.

The data was obtained from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) via a Freedom of Information request by BBC Essex.

In a statement, the MoJ said the "innovative technology" allowed offenders to be strictly monitored.

Electronic monitoring is used in England and Wales to check on curfews and conditions of a court or prison order.

Offenders have a tag, usually attached to their ankle, as well as a monitoring unit installed at a base, usually their home.

'World-leading'

The data showed the total number of people wearing an ankle tag in Essex was 541 in the year to 31 March 2023, compared with 380 during the previous 12 months.

"Our use of tagging technology is world-leading and we're doubling the number of GPS tags available to courts for sentencing so even more offenders can be strictly monitored to keep the public safe," the MoJ statement said.

"The innovative technology allows us to man-mark offenders, tracking their movements and location and to enforce strict conditions, for example curfews of up to 20 hours a day and restrictions on drinking."

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Rob Preece from the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the increase in offenders wearing tags could be down to courts working through a backlog of cases from when they were shut during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He added the prison system "is under enormous pressure".

"If people aren't being jailed unnecessarily then it is a positive step," he said.

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