Electronic Monitoring, Essay Example

This office will be implementing an electronic monitoring program for some probationers. This memo will provide a brief overview of the program, including a discussion of the program’s goals, selection criteria, and outcome assessment.

Electronic monitoring is, by its nature, more restrictive than regular probation supervision; as such, probationers selected for this program will be those that are considered to pose a greater potential risk to the community while still meeting the general criteria and eligibility requirements for probation.  While final determinations about selection for electronic monitoring will typically be made by the sentencing judge, this office has been instructed to coordinate its efforts with the District Attorney’s office and the Clerk of Courts to assist in making such determinations.

This program will utilize two types of monitoring; the first of these is EMP monitoring for probationers who are on round-the-clock home confinement, or who are allowed to leave home for specifically-approved activities (such as work, religious services, drug treatment programs, etc.). This form of monitoring requires probationers to wear an ankle bracelet that sends an alarm to the monitoring station if the probationer leaves the immediate vicinity of the monitor receiver in the home. A second type of monitoring which utilizes GPS requires the probationer to wear a monitor and carry a transponder. This device provides real-time tracking of the probationer, and signals the monitoring station if the probationer leaves a specified area, or approaches a prohibited location. This is especially useful for probationers convicted of sexual offenses who are prohibited from going near schools or similar locations, for probationers convicted of domestic abuse offenses who must adhere to restraining orders, and other probationers whose specific locations must be known at all times.

In the initial stages of this program, probationers will be selected based on the nature of their offenses and their history of compliance with the requirements of their probation. All probationers convicted of sexual offenses will be confined to GPS monitoring unless the District Attorney or the sentencing judge objects.  All probationers convicted of violent offenses will be assessed for possible inclusion, as will probationers with a poor history of compliance who have not meet the criteria for violation; for example, probationers with a first offense for failing a urine test for drugs will be assessed for inclusion in the program. The overarching goals for this program are to reduce the potential threats to public safety posed by probationers, and to reduce the rates at which probationers violate the conditions of their probation and have their probation status revoked. At six-month intervals the program will be assessed quantitatively, using a statistical comparison of recidivism and violation rates. The program will also be assessed qualitatively, through a survey of probation officers and probationers. The program will be deemed a success if it proves to be a cost-effective means by which recidivism and violations can be reduced.