Prison governors have called for the use of electronic tagging to be extended.

This comes after it was revealed that severe jail overcrowding has led to some prisoners in England and Wales being held in police cells.

The Prison Governors Association says that tagging offenders works but there are concerns about public safety and the risk that some criminals could re-offend.

Should more use be made of electronic tagging and non-custodial sentencing?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

SUGGEST A DEBATE This topic was suggested by Spencer, UK Should prisoners, who presumably have been locked up for good reason, be released early because they cannot be held in prison due to overcrowding? Send us your suggestions for Have Your Say debates

The prison system would not be as critical as it is now if the law was harsher on criminals. Some sentences are too lenient and to not deter people from re-offending. Also prisons are too easy once you are in there.
Maria Wise, Berkshire

Unless we plan to lock criminals away permanently we need to devise a more long term strategy to prevent re-offending. The government needs to use its brains rather than brawn here.
Ben, St Ives

I left the Prison Service in February 2005. The pressure on population then was immense, having to clear store rooms out to make space for extra beds. The policy of lock them away and forget about them will come back and bite, the recipe that created Strangeways is being cooked again.
Mike Aucott, Dunedin, New Zealand

We already have one of the largest prison populations in the EU and yet we still have a problem with crime. In many EU countries addicts, most often involved in crimes, are treated with rehabilitation and made to work for the community to make up for their crimes. Prison should be reserved for dangerous or violent offenders. Prison often serves as a school for criminals, especially first time offenders. Build more prisons, generate more prisoners.
Ian, Canterbury

I am sure some non-violent criminals who are serving shorter sentence could be let out earlier with tagging. Keeping people in prison must be costing us as tax payers an awful lot of money. Maybe this could be spent better by teaching these people to be useful.
Richie C, Chichester, UK

All those in prison are there for a reason Ian, Walsal

All those in prison are there for a reason - ie they've done something that incurs their loss of liberty. Prison should be hard, real hard. Sentences should be served in full. Many people have been affected by crime and deserve Justice.
Ian, Walsall, UK

A lot of prisoners are there because they're drug addicts. Even if they 'stay clean' in prison the underlying addiction just kicks back in when they're released. Tagging doesn't stop their need for drugs once they're back outside. And crime is how they fund a daily habit. As for drug dealers many just see prison as an occupational hazard.
Tim, Sheffield

What is this country coming to? Forgive me if I'm wrong but I thought that prison was meant to be a punishment and not a holiday camp. Who cares if the prisons are overcrowded - I'd rather have that than criminals walking the streets and re-offending - but then that would surely be an infringement of the prisoners' "rights"! Tagging doesn't work so build more prisons.
KP, England

If you want to build more prisons, you will have to find a way of attracting and retaining new prison officers. Like most of this country's vital services they are paid a pittance for the amount of personal stress and danger that they face every shift. In my local paper about a month ago there was a job advert for a prison librarian with a starting salary of about �20k-�22k. A friend of mine has been an officer for nearly five years and has only just crept over �20k. I wasn't aware that looking after books was more taxing than looking after criminals!
Aimee, Worcester, UK

I think if the sentences given were harsher and prisoners had to complete the full sentence, then maybe numbers would come down.
Jo , Abingdon

The answer is simple: Build more prisons Dave B, Hants

The answer is simple...Build more prisons. Getting a grip on benefit fraud would more than cover the expense (if Blair would only admit it to himself)! Tagging is hardly a deterrent anymore. Just look at the amount of crime committed by criminals already out and on a tag program. The results speak for themselves.
Dave B, Hants

Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime was what we voted for. Was this priceless proposal in the manifesto at election time? If crime figures are falling, which is what the government claims, how come prisons are getting fuller?
Sue, UK

Definitely no earlier release than is normally applied to sentences. Just because the problem of accommodating a growing prison population has been ignored for ages by those who could have addressed it, such that the present situation would have been avoided, is no reason to discount further the sentencing (often on the lenient side in the first instance) handed down by the courts. As this would involve ad hoc departures from court judgements and sentencing, would it be seen by the judiciary as further political interference with their independence? Perhaps the reaction might be for them to hand down stiffer sentences to counter any 'additional discounts' the Home Office might seek to apply, if indeed they are empowered to do so.
'Richard', Beckenham, Kent, UK

No. If they warranted a custodial sentence they should not be released. It is the usual stupidity that the way to reduce the prison population is seen as decriminalising offences or early release.
John, UK

If you commit a crime, you must be fearful of the consequences Nick Smith, Dartmouth, UK

Considering the state of over-crowding in over half of the prisons in the UK there's really little choice in the matter. The number of prisons that can accommodate custodial sentences is clearly inadequate so isn't over-crowding the issue? Build more prisons, employ more prison officers and give us, the up-standing and law abiding citizens of this country, total protection from convicted criminals. If you commit a crime, you must be fearful of the consequences and tagging strikes fear in no-one. The Law has a duty to protect citizens and it cannot be brought to bear fully with such nonsense as non-custodial sentences.
Nick Smith, Dartmouth, UK

It seems strange that although the government is elected by the public, and is supposed to direct policy based on the will of the people, they consistently ignore the feelings of most people in relation to this matter. I believe the majority of people do not care whether prisoners are uncomfortable; whether they feel overcrowded and miserable. They are in prison, not a hotel. The criminal justice system is totally out of touch with the public.
Andy, Aberdeen

When a life sentence in England means 10 years and a two-year sentence actually means a prisoner will be out in one, they now want to let prisoners out earlier again! So a prisoner with a two year sentence would actually be out in six months! I think the government should just build a new prison or even a couple of new prisons! Because what will be the point in sentencing them anyway!
Lee

I thought prisons were there for these people so the public don't have to worry about them anymore! I personally don't want them wandering our streets causing more crime!
Nicola, Milton Keynes

Justice is not only about punishment of the guilty Paul Schleifer, Chiswic

Prison sentences should be reserved for criminals who are a danger to other people. Sentencing should otherwise provide the means for criminals to repay or repair the damage they have done. Justice is not only about punishment of the guilty.
Paul Schleifer, Chiswick

Didn't a Premier League footballer play a gem recently wearing a tag? Can't see the point of them, why not put to work doing the jobs no one else wants to do?
Matt Munro, Bristol, UK

I think this is absolutely ridiculous that prisoners are complaining or should be released early, they did the crime, they pay their time, and this shouldn't be in comfort. Who cares that there is overcrowding? We (Joe Public) certainly don't. If I had my way they would be doing hard labour whilst serving time. If they were law abiding people they wouldn't be there in the first place. And if the government were much harder on them they perhaps the prisons wouldn't be overcrowded because they wouldn't want to go back.
Michelle de Vanney, Poole Dorset

One can only imagine how this news will affect the mindset of potential and existing criminals. Once again crime pays, commit the crime and don't do time. Ain't this a wonderful country. I have a simple idea to resolve the situation, build more prisons! I'm sure a child of four could think of that why can't the politicians?
Jason Steel, Burnley

Early release should not be used to try to put right the government's mistakes. It should be used only if it is going to help a particular criminal get rehabilitated and re-integrated into society. This is not a solution to over-crowding.
Dean Gargano, London, UK

After my first taste of the cane I was not going back for more James, Alabama, USA

I was born in England and went to public school. After my first taste of the cane I was not going back for more. The old ways need to be re introduced. I am sure that with the thought of real pain being a punishment, the younger criminals might think twice before they break the rules.
James, Alabama, USA

All prisoners should serve the full term to which they have been sentenced to. Early release gives offenders to re-offend. Early release does not make me feel safe. I ask myself what is the point of having jails or a judicial system come to that.
Gwen, Baildon, West Yorkshire

Prior to relocating to the USA in 1973, I spent 18 years in H.M. Prison Service, my final three years as a Senior Officer at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. During all of those years in different borstals, detention centres and prisons, I met the same people over and over again as they progressed and matured physically and criminally. I think that electronic tagging may have some value for those who have committed very minor offences. However, remember that the leopard does not change his spots.
John, New Rochelle, NY, USA

Electronic tagging. Just another useless piece of equipment to make the government look as though they are addressing the problem. Make prisons (especially for the violent criminals) a place they would never want to return to. Bread and water, no television or radios, and to be made to work full day for the benefit of the community they turned their back on.
Bill, Sussex

We imprison far more of our own people than any other European nation Chris, Manchester

The problem is that we send too many people to prison in the first place. We imprison far more of our own people than any other European nation. We have a very authoritarian and bossy government who have created over 1300 new criminal offences since coming to power. I agree with being tough on serious criminals but young kids who've made daft mistakes shouldn't be given custodial sentences.
Chris, Manchester

There should be more ways to sanction offenders other than prison. But I do object to those who suggest national service for young offenders. Our forces are considered the best in the world because they are a professional volunteer service. However, greater use of offenders should be used for productive community service. But I'm still not convinced that allowing tagged offenders to return home is a good idea. Punishment and rehabilitation should fit the crime and not the prison population.
Martin Parkes, Hemel Hempstead

Surely we should build prisons like Alcatraz, there is loads of space in the sea that we could build on. That way they won't escape either! If you can build an oil rig you can build a prison. Keep them inside and keep the public safe!
Steve, Beds, UK

Instead of building new prisons we need to make better provision for those suffering from mental illness or drug addiction, who form a large part of the prison population. We also need more effective community penalties. (I speak as a magistrate).
David H, London, UK

As with everything in this country they are tackling the effect and not the cause, and again like everything else, the system is not working so they will just do more of the same. Tackle the real cause. Why have social standards in this country declined so much over the last forty years? The devil finds work for idle hands is the old saying, so find these people jobs and give them hope for the future.
Ron C, Stoke, UK

Building prisons is actually less effective than using tagging Paul Watson, London, UK

I see the "lock 'em all up" brigade is out in force. Perhaps they might like to consider that prison has the highest re-offender rate of all forms of punishment. So building prisons is actually less effective than using tagging. Yes, some people will re-offend on the tagging scheme and those people should go straight back to prison. Besides which, prisons are very expensive to build and run. Maybe they'd like their taxes to go up a few pence in the pound to pay for this?
Paul Watson, London, UK

Electronic tagging is useless and is not sufficient punishment. We need more prisons in remote areas to make prisoners suffer for their crimes.
Keith, UK

Electronic tagging should be used more. However, I believe that national service should be brought back for young offenders and less severe offences. Teach them discipline, and more importantly respect for themselves and others.
Louisa Strickland, Broadstone, Dorset

Can they not put these prisoners to good use? Why have them rotting in prison when they could be digging ditches or breaking rocks, dressed in those stripy suits?
Manos Mandrakis, Reading

I did my university dissertation on electronic tagging 4 years ago and I was astonished at the number of crimes that were actually committed by these "tagged" prisoners. Why send a pensioner to a prison for a week for failure to pay taxes, but let a burglar free in his own home?
Katie Colbourne, Guildford, Surrey

Perhaps, if the prisons were used for holding violent criminals and other methods of punishment were used for 'white collar crime' this might help.
Nilem Patel, London

Rather than tagging and releasing, they should think more about making the criminal justice system an actual JUSTICE system instead of a criminal reward scheme.
Alex, Liverpool

It would be nice to see the stats regarding repeat offenders. If you are a victim of a crime and you see the person responsible living a next to normal life while you still suffer from their actions, how would that make you feel? People are in prison for a reason. Let's not forget it is there as a punishment as well as a way of keeping them off the streets.
Matthew Riley, Hatfield

Tagging might work for a percentage of criminals but it does not work in favour of law-abiding citizens - these people are still able to walk the streets and capable to do what they want. The answer is simple - build more prisons!
Damien, Coventry

Having worked directly in a prison I can tell you that tagging has massive limitations. More often than not offenders are called back before the courts for breaking conditions on their curfews and many go on to commit further crimes whilst still on tag. The industrious few find ways of 'getting around' the tags and the imposed rules that are applied to them. Recently there have been more serious crimes committed whilst offenders are on tag which have come to the public attention through the press. Tagging works for a percentage but not for the majority. It's another bad idea from the prison governors who rely on knee jerk reactions to take the heat off them.
Anon, UK

This would be yet another piece of idiocy to add to the government's steadily increasing list. In any event, I thought that criminals were in prison in punishment for their antics or am I missing something? I also think a bit more overcrowding may discourage repeat offending in future.
Howard Reynolds, East Ham, London

The Home Secretary should look at HDC (Tagging) as an alternative to prison sentences. Especially for non-violent and non-drug related crimes, the liberty of the individual is still contained within the curfew period but during the non curfew period the individual is able to work; therefore not being a cost to society. In the event of the individual not working they should be requested to do work in the community.
Simon, Peterborough, Cambs

Weren't many of the older prisons built by prisoners? Why can't prisoners build some new prisons or extend the old ones? Surely many of those now returning to prison are doing so because tagging has failed?
Ian, Wroclaw, Poland/ ex UK

In my ward of the Croydon Neighbourhood Watch, it has become clear that fear is the biggest problem whether it is real or imagined. People no longer believe what they are told about crime diminishing as they see increasingly aggressive behaviour, an increase in gun crime etc. They already feel that the courts pander to the criminal and not to the victim and the suggestion that someone with a 2 year sentence could be out in 6 months is appalling - what message does this sent out to potential criminals?
Richard Saunders, Croydon, Surrey

This government will happily implement this and forget about it, without addressing the real issues here - build more prisons, and actually reduce crime!
Martin Long, Newark, UK