Electronic Monitoring

Ever get that feeling someone is watching you? That someone is always behind you, and you continually look bad while walking? Your every move being monitored? This is a reality for some offenders. An electronic monitoring system is agreed to as an alternative to a locked facility. This electronic device that is used to monitor the particular location at a specific time of a particular individual is called an electronic monitoring or tagging. Electronic monitoring is also used for home confinement or house arrest (Champion, 1992). This paper will discuss what an electronic monitoring is, its orientation, and the types of signaling devices used. Then the amount of offenders affected by electronic monitoring and the type of offenders on electronic

monitoring. Lastly, the critics of electronic monitoring and the positives of electronic monitoring.
The electronic monitoring device is usually an anklet or bracelet that the offender will wear to have their location monitored by a probation department. The electronic monitoring conditions are set by the courts (Champion, 1992). The individual under surveillance is court ordered to remain in their home unless approved to leave for curtain activities such as employment, school, community treatment programs, or other similar activities (Champion, 1992). This program of electronic monitoring allows juveniles to remain in society as an alternative to going to a locked facility. Not only does the juvenile have to agree to the terms, but the parent or guardian has to agree to the terms as well. The electronic monitoring time frame can range from 30 to 120 days (Champion, 1992).
As an alternative to incarceration, electronic monitoring was introduced in 1964. The United States were not the only country using electronic monitoring, but England and Germany were also starting to use the program to monitor their offenders (Champion, 1992). The current use for electronic monitoring is not what the inventors, Robert and Kirk Gable, intended. They intended to use it to enforce positive reinforcement. Offenders had radios to communicate their locations at particular times and were rewarded with things such as pizza and concert tickets when they were at the location they were supposed to be when being contacted (Anderson, 2014).
As technology has increased, the electronic monitoring devises evolved too. The evolution is prevalent in the progressed from radios to global positioning systems and cell signals to determine location. Technology has even increased to be able to detect blood alcohol levels through the sweat of the offender wearing the monitor (Champion, 1992). Four types of electronic monitoring devices that are used today are continuous-signal devices, a programmed contact devices, cellular devices, and global positioning systems (GPS) (Champion, 1992). All devices differentiate in methods of monitoring location of offenders, but all monitor location. The devices all also have to be attached with certain equipment that the average person does not contain, thus allowing the probation department to determine if the device has be tampered with (Champion, 1992).
The first type of monitoring, the continuous-signal device, is worn on the wrist. An encoded signal is transmitted from the band to a receiver within the home of the offender. After the signal is received to the device within the home, a signal is then sent to a central receiver through telephone lines (Champion, 1992). The next type of monitoring is the programmed contact device, where a central computer is programmed to call the offender’s home at random times of the day. When the phone rings at the offender’s home, the offender must answer the phone. To verify that it is the offender answering the phone they must insert their wristlet transmitter and their voice is verified through the computer (Champion, 1992). Another type of monitoring is a cellular device. This monitoring system uses a radio signal to transmit location. A maximum of 25 offenders can be tracked by this system at a time (Champion, 1992). The last type of monitor is GPS, this system can connect to either landlines or cell phone of the offender. This system monitors the offender’s location 24 hours a days, and includes a transmitter, tracking device, and a charging station (Champion, 1992).
The amount of juvenile offenders affected by electronic monitoring yearly is hard to obtain, most statistics are estimated and not actual “set in stone” numbers. The number of juvenile on electronic monitoring changes daily and the length of time spent on electronic monitoring is different for every individual (Champion, 1992). Although statistics are hard to obtain, there is enough evidence to support that there is an increase of electronic monitoring being used. In 1997, a survey suggested that around 31,236 juveniles were being electrically monitored. Then in 1998 more than 95,000 were being monitored and the increased continued to 150,000 in 2004 (Champion, 1992).
The juveniles being electronically monitored committed a varieties of crime from status offenses to violent crimes. The probation staff determine, based off interviews and screening tools, which juveniles will benefit from electronic monitoring (Champion, 1992). There are many reasons for a juvenile to be electronically monitored such as correctional facilities are overcrowded or that closer regulation of them will prevent further offending. They may also be monitored due to community concerns with the offender in which the probation department will be able to verify their location at all times (Champion, 1992).
Other countries have electronically monitored gang offenders and the research produced from these offenders suggest that electronic monitored individuals have a lower recidivism rate. Conversely, a study in Scotland, suggest that electronically monitored individuals produced anger and frustration, then leading to drug dependency and family issues (Champion, 1992). Many offenders prefer the electronic monitoring over confinement. Even though electronic monitoring is preferred, various offenders also think that electronic monitoring in many ways is just like a jail sentence (Champion, 1992).
There are both advantages and disadvantages of using electronic monitoring. Some advantages of electronic monitoring is the financial savings, low recidivism rates, and capability to monitor the offender’s location at any time (Development Services, 2014). Concerning savings, electronic monitoring can save taxpayers and detention facilities. Electronic monitoring cost can array from $5.00 to $10.00 a day, while detentions can array from $100.00 to $160.00 per day (Development Services, 2014). Taxpayers benefit from the electronic monitoring also because the offender can then be at home, working to pay for their monitor. While the detention benefits from the electronic monitoring because they may experience overcrowding and this program will allow them to release some of the juveniles. The advantages of low recidivism rate was displayed, as mentioned previously, in some research of monitored gang members that produced evidence that suggested that those electronic monitored had lower recidivism rate (Champion, 1992). A reduced rate of 31 percent of offenders have a risk of failure when subjected to electronically being monitored (Electronic Monitoring, 2011).
Another advantages of electronic monitoring is being able to locate the offender at any specific time of the day. An electronic monitoring system that allows to locate an offender any time is the GPS, this can pin-point the exact location of the offender. This program or system allows the probation department to be notified if the offender is following the conditions giving for their release (Development Services, 2014). The electronic monitor also benefits the offender as well because if they are accused of a new crime committed, they have an alibi.
However there are some disadvantage to the electronic monitor such as discrimination against poor families, false positives, and emotional effects. The potential discrimination of poor families occurs when the family of the juvenile cannot afford the cost of an additional landline or installation fees. Some of the electronic monitoring systems require a new or additional landline to be set up because it cannot have caller ID, three-way calling, voice-mail, or other such features (Sklaver, n.d.). Another fees poor family cannot afford would be the random drug-tests and breathe analyses, and for any damaged equipment.
Another disadvantage of electronic monitoring would be the false positives that sometimes occur with the devices. When the device is not charged correctly and begins to die, it will send an encoded message that alerts the monitoring personnel that the juvenile has violated set conditions, even though they have not (Sklaver, n.d.). Finally, would be the emotional impact of the juvenile from wearing the monitor. The electronic monitor may make some of the juveniles feel more criminal then they actually are, then producing them to commit more criminal acts.
In conclusion, the electronic monitor has progressed greatly through the advancements of technology from hand held radios to GPS that send signals to determine the location of offenders. There are four many types of electronic monitoring which are continuous-signal devices, a programmed contact devices, cellular devices, and GPS (Champion, 1992). They are all similar in the fact that they assistance in determining the location of an offender at any time of day, but differ in the method of how the location is monitored.
The continuous-signal device is worn on the wrist and a signal is sent from that monitor, to the monitor in the house of the offender, then to the central receiver through telephone lines (Champion, 1992).

The programmed contact device uses a central computer that is programmed to call the offenders home at random times and they are the only ones that can answer the phone because they have to insert their wristlet transmitter and the computer will detect their voice. The cellular device determines location by radio signal (Champion, 1992). Lastly, the GPS which can connect to landlines or cell phone of the offender to send signal that can be traced 24 hours of the day.

Resembling everything else in the world, there are both advantages and disadvantages with the electronic monitoring systems. Some advantages of electronic monitoring are the financial savings, low recidivism rates, and capability to monitor the offender’s location at any time (Development Services Group, Inc., 2014). While the disadvantages of electronic monitoring are discrimination against poor families, false positives, and emotional effects (Sklaver, n.d.). Overall, the electronic monitoring system is reducing recidivism rate, which the most important aspect of the program, especially in relation to

juveniles.