Understanding How House Arrest Monitoring Happens

By James Wagner


Incarceration is just one of the many ways that offenders can pay for their offenses under the law. The concept of house arrest has continuously become popular as a cheaper alternative to incarceration, especially in countries that have large prison populations. It is receiving popularity as an alternative for punishing low-profile offenders. House arrest monitoring has been the most challenging part to implement but with technological advancement, it has become easier.

Various kinds of electronic devices have been created to monitor movement by offenders until they finish serving their punishment. These devices are applied on both young and adult offenders. They have been to be found efficient in that application that they are in wide application today. The location of the offender can thus be known at any specific time. Violation of geographic confinement can therefore be tracked easily.

An ankle monitor is one of the most commonly deployed electronic house arrest monitor. The monitor also goes by other names such as an ankle bracelet and a tether. It refers to a small homing gadget that is worn by people under hour arrest or parole. The device has a transmitter unit that sends radio frequency signals to a receiver with various pieces of information including its current location.

Moving outside a specified geographical region triggers the device to transmit a radio frequency signal to a receiver. Receivers are usually other computers owned by law enforcement agencies or contractors that perform monitoring on behalf of the government. Ankle monitors have tamper proof designs. This makes them to transmit a signal to the receiver when one tries to remove them.

The device relies on either a cellular or land-line network to transmit radio frequency signals to the receiving computer. The signal is usually in the form of an alert message that is relayed to the receiver. There are GPS units that are similar in design as ankle monitors only that they may require the wearer to carry a cell phone for receiving signals from the ankle unit. In some designs, both functions may be incorporated in ankle units.

The invention of electronic monitoring was made in the 1960s by a small team of Harvard University researchers. The first judicially sanctioned application of the technology happened in New Mexico in 1983. Michael Goss was responsible for all the production at that time. After six years from that time, there were six recognized commercial producers. In 2006, there was a total of 130 000 units in deployment in the United States.

The ability of electronic monitoring devices to reduce the rate of crime is very uncertain. This uncertainty results from the fact that those who violate parole are usually in preparation of committing more serious crimes. Crime deterrence was the major reason for the adoption of these devices and research has indicated that it has failed in that function. Monitoring has not shown to be better than other diversion programs.

These devices are waterproof in order to prevent them from being damaged by water. They are small and light to avoid being inconvenient to wearers. Most of them come with a black casing.




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