Electronic Monitoring and House Arrest: Making the Right Connections (From Privatizing Criminal Justice, P 107-134, 1989, Roger Matthews, ed. -- See NCJ-121524)

• NCJ Number: 121529
• Author(s): B Berry; R Matthews
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 28 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications Ltd
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

The use of house arrest and electronic monitoring of offenders are examined in terms of their use in the United States and Europe, their potential effectiveness, their appropriate uses, their costs, and their potential effects on prison overcrowding in Great Britain.

Abstract

Electronic monitoring and house arrest offer great flexibility in terms of whether they are used alone or in conjunction with other sanctions and whether they are administered by the public or private sectors. However, this flexibility can result in indiscriminate usage. Electronic monitoring appears to be currently relevant only to a narrow range of offenders. Most drunk drivers and juveniles are not, as previously thought, appropriate candidates for electronic monitoring. Instead, its most effective usage is likely to be in conjunction with work release programs or with early release. It may also be useful as a way of managing the growing number of prisoners who test positive for HIV. In addition, house arrest and electronic monitoring may be more effective in many cases when used separately than when combined. Table and 61 references.