Some offenders are released early without being electronically alerted

Some prisoners released early as part of efforts to reduce overcrowding have not been fitted with electronic tracking devices, although this is a requirement for their release, the BBC said.

Some offenders released on license say they have not been fitted with ankle tags – which some have described as a “disaster waiting to happen”.

One probation officer said the delay in tagging appears to be due to a lack of tags, while the Ministry of Justice said it was due to a backlog of ex-prisoners.

The MoJ blamed security contractor Serco – which manages the prison tagging system – for the delay. Serco says it is being used to reduce the number of people waiting for tags.

Prisons minister Lord Timpson is having what the MoJ has described as an important meeting with Serco on the issue later this afternoon.

More than 1,700 prisoners were released early in England and Wales last week as part of the government’s plan to tackle overcrowding in prisons.

The justice secretary said this was preventing the prison system from reaching maximum capacity and a “total breakdown of law and order”.

But the scheme has been criticized for endangering public safety, but not all victims know the offender’s initial release date.

Offenders jailed for violent offenses with sentences of at least four years, sex offenders and domestic abusers are not eligible for early release, the government said.

Many of those released last week were released under license.

In some cases, that means wearing an ankle tag so their movements can be monitored to check if they’re obeying curfews or following other restrictions.

Those who are not tagged can act unmonitored – increasing the risk of re-offending and a danger to the public.

One of the offenders released last week told the BBC: “They should have alerted me but they haven’t, and that means I can go anywhere.

“I don’t want to go in anymore, so I stick to my curfew, but I know people who don’t because they haven’t been tagged. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

In that case, he was told to stay at home from 19:00 to 07:00.

Another offender who was released last week said: “I have to stay inside until I’m posted, which means I can’t leave and I keep going in – but I don’t want to remember going to jail, so I’d rather do it. but it would be easier if I was warned .

Three probation officers spoke to BBC News on condition of anonymity.

One, who said he believed the problem was due to a lack of tags, said: “We heard the same story from some staff who said people hadn’t been tagged and it would cause problems.

“It seems that people are being released without conditions that they are being released readily, and that can be dangerous.”

Tagging or Home Detention Curfew (HDC) is a scheme that allows some people to be released early from detention if they have a suitable address to go to.

If someone is released to HDC, they have rules to follow about where they can go and what time they have to be back home.

This allows the authorities to monitor the movements of offenders to prevent them from reoffending.

According to Martin Jones, chief probation inspector, about a third of those released early last week are expected to reoffend.

The tagging system is operated by Electronic Monitoring Services (EMS), an organization managed by Serco under contract with the MoJ.

An MoJ spokesman said: “Tagging is an important part of our strategy to keep victims safe and prevent re-offending, and there are now increasing numbers of offenders wearing tags.

“We are holding Serco to account for dealing with delays in matching some offenders with tags, and will apply financial penalties to the company if this is not resolved quickly.

“While this issue is ongoing, we have prioritized tagging domestic abuse offenders to ensure that licensing conditions, such as staying away from their victims, are strictly enforced.”

A Serco spokesman said: “Since we took out the electronic monitoring contract in May, we have worked hard to reduce the number of people waiting for tags to be fitted.

“We are working with the MoJ and probation services to match tags quickly and prioritize cases based on risk profiles.

“Where the individual is not at home when we call when the tag is taken, it can be taken again. We prioritize making another visit so that people are tagged as soon as possible.”