Question
Thousands of prisoners are being released early on condition that they wear a security tag. Is the Minister aware of media reports that hundreds of prisoners are currently simply refusing, once released, to wear a tag? That must be deeply disturbing to the victims of their crime. Would she work with the Ministry of Justice to sort this out?
Answer
We work incredibly closely with the Ministry of Justice. The truth is that we inherited a broken system, which we are fixing. What is important is that serious sexual offences are excluded, and we are supporting victims by introducing the toughest ever range of tools, including world first restriction zones.20% point-scoring
Verdict: RED (15/100)
The reply did not address whether the department is aware of the media reports that prisoners are refusing electronic tags. It instead offered general comments about inheriting a difficult system and the range of tools available. On whether the problem will be resolved, it said the department works 'incredibly closely' with the Ministry of Justice but named no specific action, so that part was only partly answered and remains vague. The person who asked would most likely need to submit a follow-up for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Minister is aware of media reports that hundreds of released prisoners are refusing to wear their tags. | Not Addressed | Generic | The reply never confirms or denies awareness of the media reports about prisoners refusing tags. It only offers general remarks about inheriting a broken system and the range of tools, which are not about the reported refusals. |
| Whether the Minister will work with the Ministry of Justice to resolve the issue of released prisoners refusing to wear tags. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The statement that the department works 'incredibly closely with the Ministry of Justice' affirms the working relationship in substance. However, it names no specific action to resolve tag refusal, so the answer to whether the issue will be resolved remains vague. |