Community Justice Scotland Calls for Urgent Reform of Electronic Monitoring System
Community Justice Scotland (CJS) is calling for swift and decisive action to modernise Scotland’s Electronic Monitoring system. Advanced technologies such as GPS and Remote Alcohol Monitoring (RAM) are not yet in use – even though there is legislation in place for them. Community Justice Scotland have raised concerns relating to Electronic Monitoring policy consistently with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and a range of national stakeholders in recent years. We have now issued a National Improvement Recommendation as we believe that, despite some recent activity, progress has been too slow.
Electronic monitoring allows people to serve a sentence in the community. It restricts and monitors the movements of individuals in the community. It can help reduce reoffending, ease prison overcrowding, and improve outcomes for individuals and communities when combined with appropriate support services.
Internationally, electronic monitoring is used effectively at various stages of the justice process—from pre-trial alternatives to custody, to supporting early release and monitoring specific, vetted needs such as hospital visits. Research shows that tailored approaches, supported by modern technology, deliver better outcomes for individuals and communities.
Scotland’s current electronic monitoring system lags behind. GPS technology is available but remains in a testing phase, with no clear timeline for rollout. RAM, which demonstrated a 92% compliance rate in a London pilot (2014), is also yet to be introduced. These delays persist despite strong recommendations from justice experts, academics, and national justice partners. Community Justice Scotland are committed to working with partners to ensure electronic monitoring is a robust, fair, and effective tool in Scotland’s justice system.
Community Justice Scotland published a National Improvement Recommendation to set out improvements required for the development of new technologies for Electronic Monitoring in October 2025.