1. Main points

The Electronic Monitoring Statistics publication covers the use and delivery of electronic monitoring in England and Wales, using four types of devices: curfew monitoring devices (also known as radio frequency or RF devices), location monitoring devices (also known as global positioning system or GPS devices), alcohol monitoring (AM) devices, and non-fitted devices (NFDs). A small number of individuals in the immigration cohort living in Scotland and Northern Ireland are also monitored.

This publication sets out statistics on the use of electronic monitoring as at 31 December 2025 compared to those as at 30 September 2025.

Figure 1: Number of individuals assigned with an electronic monitoring device, by order type (excluding Specials), England and Wales, as at 31 December 2025 (Source: Table 1.1)
  • The total number of individuals assigned with an electronic monitoring device was 28,111, an increase of 8% from 26,114 as at 30 September 2025.
  • Post-release orders were the largest group with 10,313 individuals (37% of the caseload). This compares to 9,283 orders as at 30 September 2025, an 11% increase.
  • Court bail orders made up the second-largest proportion with 9,448 individuals (34% of the caseload) assigned with an electronic monitoring device. This compares to 8,771 orders as at 30 September 2025, an 8% increase.
  • Immigration orders were the third-largest group with 4,552 individuals (16% of the caseload). This compares to 4,534 orders as at 30 September 2025, an increase of less than 0.5% when compared with 30 September 2025.
  • Court sentences (community orders and suspended sentence orders) were the fourth-largest group with 3,709 individuals (13% of the caseload). This compares to 3,433 orders as at 30 September 2025, an 8% increase.
  • Specials orders were the fifth-largest group with 89 individuals (less than 0.5% of the caseload).
  • Location (GPS) devices account for 57% (16,010) of individuals assigned with this device. This compares to 14,634 orders as at 30 September 2025, a 9% increase.
  • Curfew (RF) devices account for 30% (8,510) of individuals assigned with this device. This compares to 8,244 orders as at 30 September 2025, a 3% increase.
  • AM devices account for 18% (4,998) of individuals assigned with this device. This compares to 4,287 orders as at 30 September 2025, a 17% increase.
  • Location (GPS) devices account for 57% (16,010) of individuals assigned with this device. This compares to 14,634 orders as at 30 September 2025, a 9% increase.
  • Curfew (RF) devices account for 30% (8,510) of individuals assigned with this device. This compares to 8,244 orders as at 30 September 2025, a 3% increase.
  • AM devices account for 18% (4,998) of individuals assigned with this device. This compares to 4,287 orders as at 30 September 2025, a 17% increase.
Figure 2: Number of individuals assigned with an electronic monitoring device, by tag type (excluding Specials), England and Wales, as at 31 December 2025 (Source: Table 2.1, 3.1, 4.1)

Percentages do not sum to 100% as some individuals are assigned with more than one type of device. Summing figures across the three tag types will also exceed the total number of individuals tagged for the same reason.

2. Statistician’s comment – Data quality

2.1 Methodological changes

Tag Type

The methodology used to identify individuals tag type has been updated in this publication due to changes in the way tag types are classified, and an individual’s monitored status is prioritised. This uses a different tag type methodology from the September 2025 EM official statistics, and the ad-hoc alcohol publication in December 2025. While data has been revised back to June 2025 accordingly, figures have not changed by a large extent, with total post-release figures being most impacted by the change. This methodology change is unrelated to the definitional change mentioned below to classify individuals as “tagged”.

Classification of tagged

The caseload statistics presented in this release are not directly comparable with those published before June 2025.  This is due to changes in the definition and methodology used to classify individuals as “tagged”. The changes also apply to the AM cohort, who moved to the new definition and methodology at the end of July 2025. More detailed information on the change in definition can be found in the technical note.

2.2 Change in EM contract

New contracts to deliver the Electronic Monitoring service were awarded in October 2023, with Serco taking over the delivery of the service from Capita in May 2024. Details of the contracts can be found here. Migration of AM order data from Capita to Serco began at the end of July 2025.

To ensure the publication series continued to meet high standards of accuracy and quality, official Electronic Monitoring statistics were temporarily paused from June 2024 to June 2025. This allowed processes to be amended to produce statistics suitable for the new data source and to assess the data to ensure its accuracy.

The migration of electronic monitoring caseload data from legacy systems to Serco’s new system concluded in October 2025. The Statistical publication resumed from June 2025, with additional steps carried out to actively identify and remove duplicate records by matching data between the two systems. There is confidence that such records accounted for less than 5% of the caseload from June 2025 until the migration concluded in October 2025 and data quality will continue to be reviewed for subsequent publications.

3. Background

Electronic monitoring supports probation services, prisons, courts, the police, the Home Office, and the wider justice system in England and Wales. It is a way of remotely monitoring and recording information on an individual’s whereabouts or alcohol consumption, using an electronic device that is typically fitted to an individual’s ankle. Electronic monitoring may be used:

  • as a tool to assist with the monitoring of established bail conditions;
  • as a requirement of a court sentence, primarily community orders and suspended sentence orders;
  • for Home Detention Curfew;
  • as a licence condition following release from custody;
  • as a condition of immigration bail, managed by the Home Office; or
  • to intensively monitor a small number of individuals, 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).

An individual may be given several orders at the same time and/or over the course of a year. Therefore, it is likely that there will be more active orders at any one time than there are people being monitored and some individuals will be dual-tagged. In this publication series, if an individual has multiple orders:

  • when counting order notifications, each notification will be counted separately;
  • when counting individuals, the individual will be included in one order cohort once according to a defined formula.

Please see the technical note for more details.

4. Location Monitoring (GPS)

Location monitoring (GPS) devices allow the monitoring of:

  • compliance with exclusion zones;
  • attendance at a required activity or appointment;
  • an offender’s whereabouts, known as trail monitoring;
  • multiple conditions or requirements, if necessary, such as a combination of exclusion zones, curfew, monitored attendance and trail monitoring.

Between 30 September 2025 and 31 December 2025, the number of individuals assigned with an electronic monitoring device and whose primary order was a location monitoring (GPS) device increased from 14,634 individuals to 16,010, an increase of 9%.

Figure 3: Number of individuals assigned with a location monitoring (GPS) device, by order type, England and Wales, as at 31 December 2025 (Source: Table 2.1)
  • Court bail orders make up the largest proportion (36%) of location monitored (GPS) individuals. At 31 December 2025, 5,684 individuals had location monitoring (GPS) court bail as their primary order type, an increase of 11% compared to 30 September 2025.
  • Immigration orders were the second largest group with 4,578 individuals (29% of the caseload), up by 1% when compared with 30 September 2025.
  • Post-release non-AC orders were the third largest group with 3,955 individuals (25% of the location monitoring (GPS) caseload), up by 16% when compared to 30 September 2025.
  • Court sentence orders (community orders and suspended sentence orders) were the fourth largest group with 1,048 individuals (7% of the caseload), up by 17% when compared with 30 September 2025.
  • Post-release AC orders were the fifth largest group with 745 individuals (5% of the location monitoring (GPS) caseload), up by 19% when compared to 30 September 2025.

Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

5. Non-Fitted Devices (NFDs)

Electronic monitoring using a non-fitted device was introduced in November 2022 for the immigration cohort. These devices utilise periodic biometric verification as an alternative to fitted devices. Individuals with a non-fitted device have been included within the location monitoring (GPS) cohort for the purposes of this analysis.

6. Curfew Monitoring (RF)

Curfew (RF) devices allow the monitoring of a curfew, where an offender must be at a specified location at specified times.

Between 30 September 2025 and 31 December 2025 the total number of individuals assigned with an electronic monitoring device and whose primary order was a curfew (RF) electronic monitoring device increased from 8,244 individuals to 8,510, an increase of 3%.

Figure 4: Number of individuals assigned with a curfew (RF) monitoring device, by order type, England and Wales, as at 31 December 2025 (Source: Table 3.1)
  • Court bail orders make up the largest proportion (45%) of curfew (RF) monitored individuals. At 31 December 2025, 3,799 individuals had curfew court bail monitoring as their primary order type, an increase of 4% since 30 September 2025.
  • Post-release orders were the second largest group with 3,620 individuals (43% of the curfew (RF) caseload), up by 2% when compared with 30 September 2025.
  • Court sentence orders (community orders and suspended sentence orders) were the third largest group with 1,089 individuals (13% of the caseload), up by 5% when compared with 30 September 2025.
  • Immigration orders were the fourth largest group with 2 individuals, no change when compared with 30 September 2025.

Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

7. Alcohol Monitoring (AM)

Migration of AM order data from Capita to Serco began at the end of July 2025. As with RF and GPS monitoring, the definition and methodology for reporting AM caseload statistics have been updated to align with the revised definition used across all electronic monitoring caseloads (as mentioned earlier). The number of new and completed AM orders is not impacted by the change of definition.

There are two types of AM orders:

  • Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirement (AAMR) – this 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 monitoring device, which monitors for the consumption of alcohol via an offender’s sweat. An AAMR can only be imposed if the individual is not alcohol dependent or has an Alcohol Treatment Requirement (ATR), and the individual is an adult (18 years or over).
  • Alcohol Monitoring on Licence (AML) – this is an additional licence condition for offenders released from custody whose offending and risk is alcohol related. There are two licence conditions available, total abstinence from alcohol, or a requirement that the offender complies with requirements specified by their probation practitioner to address their alcohol needs, which will include restricting alcohol use.

Between 30 September 2025 and 31 December 2025 the total number of individuals assigned with an electronic monitoring device and whose primary order was an AM order increased from 4,287 individuals to 4,998, an increase of 17%.

Figure 5: Number of new alcohol monitoring orders, England and Wales, monthly from January 2022 to December 2025 (Source: Table 4.2)

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR