Information concerning numbers of people currently subject to electronic monitoring: FOI release

Information requested

 

You asked for:

(1) how many criminals are currently subject to electronic tags

(2) of these, how many are (i) violent offenders (ii) sexual offenders

(3) how many, and what percentage, of these are released on temporary licence or on parole

(4) if the SG  has or is planning to have any trials involving tagging of offenders

 

Response

 

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested.

As of Monday 11 February 2019 there were 1053 individuals being electronically monitored. Of this, 28 individuals (2.7%) were on parole, with 99 (9.4%) released on Home Detention Curfew. 

We are unable to response to question (2) as in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600.  In order to retrieve this information, each individual case file would require to be check. It is estimated that this would take in excess of 2 weeks for a member of staff to undertake.

Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.

In response to question (4), there are currently three demonstration projects in operation which were commenced in early 2018 looking at providing a holistic support service to individuals subject to Electronic Monitoring. In East Ayrshire the service is provided only to those on HDC, in Midlothian, support is offered to those on either HDC or subject to an RLO, whilst in Dundee the service is available to those on an RLO or with a concurrent CPO.

Final reports and therefore evaluation are scheduled be completed during April 2019 at which point, next steps will be considered.

 

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.