Recommendation 20

HM Government Accepted

We accept this recommendation. HMPPS’ electronic monitoring (EM) Business Change and Stakeholder Engagement team regularly engages with judges, magistrates and other criminal justice stakeholders to raise awareness of the full range of EM capabilities and to increase understanding of how they can be used effectively. During April 2022 to December 2022, this has included engagement with the judiciary in numerous courts across England and Wales, undertaking what is described as ‘court outreach’. This initially focused on 44 courts where the data suggested a lower-than- average take-up of EM. A series of awareness-raising briefings were delivered to over 1,200 people in total, including the judiciary within those courts, as well as HMCTS staff, e.g., legal advisers, and probation staff based in courts. We followed this up with further briefings to judiciary and staff within other courts, reaching a further 800 people. Feedback from magistrates and other attendees was very positive and preliminary data indicates a small increase in the use of EM in these courts, compared to those that were not part of the court outreach. In order to inform the judiciary on the availability and usefulness of EM as a bail condition, we have worked with the Senior Presiding Judge’s Office to produce a 15 minute ‘bitesize’ video and will continue to expand engagement by delivering further court outreach. We will continue to work with the Senior Presiding Judge to explore ways in which the judiciary can be updated, in both Crown and Magistrates’ Courts, with accurate information about the availability and effectiveness of EM as a means of monitoring bail conditions as an alternative to remand.