MP Esther McVey has challenged the Government over how criminals released early from prison are being monitored, amid claims that some offenders are leaving custody without electronic tags or suitable accommodation.
The Conservative MP for Tatton, which includes Lymm, raised the issue in Parliament, demanding to know whether prisoners released early and given tents because they had nowhere to live would be electronically tagged.
Her intervention follows concerns about the Government’s early release scheme, with police and probation officers reportedly struggling to cope with the number of offenders requiring supervision.
Ms McVey asked Justice Minister Catherine McKinnell: “Yes or no, will prisoners released and given a tent be tagged? Or will they be roaming the streets without any way of locating them, free to commit more crime.”
The minister did not give a direct yes-or-no answer but acknowledged concerns about prisoners being released without accommodation.
She said: “I agree it is completely unacceptable for a prisoner to be released with a tent, it is not government policy and it is not something we want to see and that is why we are working at pace to improve the current homeless situation.”
According to Ministry of Justice figures cited in the debate, nearly 70,000 offenders have been released under the Government’s early release scheme since July 2024, with a further 4,500 expected to be released early before summer 2027.
Concerns have also been raised about the availability of electronic tags, with reports suggesting some offenders have not been fitted with them as promised.
The scheme has been introduced against a backdrop of severe pressure on prison capacity, with ministers seeking to ease overcrowding while maintaining appropriate supervision of offenders in the community.
However, the latest claims have prompted questions about whether the systems needed to monitor released prisoners are keeping pace with the numbers leaving custody.
Ms McVey has called for clarity over how the Government intends to ensure offenders released early are properly monitored and what safeguards are in place to protect the public.
The Government has maintained that releasing prisoners with tents is not its policy and says it is working to address the accommodation problems facing some people leaving custody.
