Claire Waxman OBE, an independent voice for victims. The official account for the Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales.
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ALT Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman OBE and ICO Interim CEO Paul Arnold MBE stand together for a photo.
ALT Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman and IOPC Director General Rachel Watson standing together in front of a Victims' Commissioner banner.
ALT Screenshot of a quote attributed to Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman. The text states that, as early releases increase, a report shows that electronic monitoring alone cannot guarantee public protection and may give victims a false sense of security unless backed by robust monitoring, effective enforcement, and a swift response to breaches. The quote concludes that government confidence in a “prison in the community” approach is not yet matched by the reality on the ground.
ALT Electronic monitoring in practice: The police response to electronically monitored bail conditions and the use of electronic monitoring on community sentences and post-release licences
ALT Quote from Martin Jones CBE HM Chief Inspector of Probation, "Electronic monitoring has real potential to strengthen public protection and support rehabilitation, and we found committed practitioners making the most of the tools available to them. If used properly, these tools have the potential to be guard-rails, steering an offender away from the wrong choices. But technology on its own cannot deliver these benefits. We found that many of the weaknesses we identified in 2022 persist today, with monitoring data not always well understood or used to best effect, and basic questions about who is and isn't being monitored still requiring significant manual effort to answer.”
ALT Key findings: Inspectors found dedicated officers, staff and probation practitioners working hard to respond to this growing demand. However, the inspection identified serious gaps in guidance, systems and information-sharing. National guidance for police forces on electronically monitored bail breaches was limited, and practices varied considerably between fieldwork forces. In the cases examined, alleged breaches did not consistently lead to structured consideration of risk. Poor record-keeping also made it difficult for forces to understand the demand they face and the effectiveness of their response.
ALT Within probation, regional electronic monitoring teams have improved oversight and governance, but practitioners must navigate a growing and complex range of technologies and systems. Monitoring data is often underused, and many of the challenges identified in a 2022 inspection remain evident today. The report also raises concerns about fairness, finding that His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service have yet to develop mature arrangements for understanding whether the use and outcomes of electronic monitoring differ across protected characteristics.
ALT Graphic showing Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman OBE and three women campaigners standing outside 10 Downing Street, alongside a quote reading: "Today's announcement reflects the tireless efforts of victims' families who refused to accept that offenders could simply opt out of facing justice."
