Electronic Ankle Research Paper

Electronic ankle bracelets have become a popular and cost efficient way of keeping defendants in custody. A burden on taxpayers, overcrowding in our prison systems has become a major concern for the criminal justice system. House arrest is a great strategy to keep the inmate population down and allowing offenders options at maintaining unemployment and continuing their education where applicable. Electronic ankle bracelets are frequently used for community corrections efforts. One type of device is used in conjunction with a radio frequency base unit that is connected to a traditional telephone line. The reports sent over the phone by the base unit are usually monitored by a third-party contractor, although some law enforcement agencies take care of this function in some jurisdictions. The ankle monitor is a sturdy and waterproof electronic device that cannot be removed or it will alert the base unit if it is tampered with. The maximum range of this system is usually 3,000 ft within the radius of the base unit …show more content…
The monitoring agency is notified of the job or class schedule and the locations so that there is not an alert mistakenly sent out that they have left their designated area.
The other type of ankle bracelet uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and requires a mobile phone to be carried by the defendant in some cases. Some GPS ankle monitors incorporate the mobile phone into the device. In recent years, GPS ankle bracelets have been used to enforce restraining orders (How Does a House, N.D.). Criminal justice organizations now use electronic monitoring for a wide variety of reasons such as pretrial supervision and a supervision requirement for some offenders being released from prison. In these situations, these are more often than not used as an alternative to incarceration. Some states now mandate electronic monitoring for released sex