Electronic Monitoring of Offenders

Vikki Slade Excerpts

Tuesday 27th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Catherine McKinnell]

I thank my right hon. Friend for her thoughtful question. Like me, she has the greatest regard for our prison governors. They work on the frontline, keeping the public safe and keeping their prisons running, and they do come up with a lot of good ideas, many of which I have heard myself. I meet governors regularly about what we can do to improve matters; I am very much “ear to the ground.” Indeed, many of the proposals that we are taking forward to improve significantly on the situation we inherited come from the very practical reality that prison governors encounter, so I thank her for the suggestion.

[Vikki Slade (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

The issue of electronic monitoring does not concern only those on early release. Michele, a victim of domestic abuse, has a restraining order against her ex-partner until 2036 that the police say he is regularly breaching. Ten days after his release, she contacted me for the fourth time to say that he still did not have a tag. As we went into half term, she said:

“I’ve not left my house all week. The children can’t go out in half term. We don’t feel safe.”

The liaison officers know that a breach is going to happen again, and family members are now staying with her, one at a time, to make sure she is not alone. I totally understand the January deadline—there are a lot of people to deal with—but will the Minister make a commitment that serial victims of domestic abuse will be prioritised so that children do not have to look over their shoulder?

[Catherine McKinnell]

The hon. Lady raises an important case. I am very sorry to hear about the situation that her constituent is dealing with this half term. Obviously, that needs to be escalated to the appropriate people. A whole variety of measures are used to ensure victim engagement, including the victim contact helpline, and specific orders can be put on domestic abuse offenders. I appreciate the ongoing concerns, and I would be happy to engage with the hon. Lady about this case.