Probation staff play a vital role in supervising people released into the community, managing risk and protecting the public. They work closely with people on probation to support compliance with licence conditions and reduce the potential for reoffending. For some offenders, this includes wearing an electronic monitoring tag, which can provide location information to support supervision and risk management.
Introducing our new Electronic Monitoring Data Insights (EMDI) tool
As demand on probation services continues to grow, giving our practitioners timely access to monitoring information is increasingly important. As part of our work to modernise our services, our new EMDI tool is helping staff obtain and use GPS tagging information more efficiently.
Turning data into operational insight
EMDI provides faster access to key location and behavioural data through our digital systems, reducing the need for time-consuming manual processes. The tool brings together information from across electronic monitoring services into a single, intuitive platform, helping our practitioners quickly understand offender movement patterns, assess compliance and take appropriate and proportionate action where necessary.
By making monitoring information easier to access and interpret, EMDI supports frontline staff to make timely, evidence-informed decisions when managing people on probation.
Delivering measurable benefits
The tool is currently being piloted across our London, West Midlands and East of England probation regions, with thousands of users already carrying out over 30,000 searches. Early feedback has been extremely positive, with testing indicating the tool saves an average of 21 minutes per week for every person on probation whose trail monitoring data is reviewed.
Described as a “game changer” the tool is already delivering tangible benefits for probation staff:
- Time savings: By providing quicker access to GPS data, EMDI reduces administration and enables practitioners to focus more of their time on managing risk, supporting victims and meaningful engagement with people on probation.
- Supporting better decisions: By bringing monitoring data together in a single platform and presenting it in a clear, accessible format, EMDI helps practitioners build a more complete picture of an individual's behaviour and make more informed, defensible professional judgements. One practitioner noted, "We can make professional judgment decisions in a significantly more informed way."
- Managing risk: Faster access to monitoring information can help practitioners identify potentially concerning behaviour earlier and take appropriate action where needed. Reflecting on this capability, one practitioner commented, "Very quickly using this, we can see if he is actively putting himself into situations to offend... this will be a really powerful tool to use."
- Improving operational outcomes: EMDI is also supporting enforcement activity and enabling practitioners to act more quickly when responding to non-compliance. As one practitioner explained, "Thanks to the data, I was able to recall him (the person on probation) due to non-compliance."
Looking ahead
We will continue to monitor usage, learn from feedback and look for new opportunities to maximise the capability of EMDI; ensuring the service continues to evolve in line with the needs of probation staff.
Our ambition is to roll-out EDMI across all probation regions by the end of 2026; enabling our practitioners to respond more effectively to emerging risks, while spending more time supporting people on probation to achieve positive outcomes.
EMDI is just one of a growing suite of innovations helping to stabilise and transform our electronic monitoring services; equipping frontline staff with the tools they need to reduce reoffending, protect victims and keep the public safe.
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