NCJ Number
191610
Journal
Prison Review International Issue: 1 Dated: July 2001 Pages: 42-45
Date Published
July 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article examines the full offender electronic monitoring service for England and Wales.
Abstract
The monitoring service, introduced in the United Kingdom in January 1999, is designed to cover both those offenders sentenced to a curfew order from the courts and prisoners released early from their sentence. The Home Office has added special cases and a sentencing option for juveniles to benefit from electronic monitoring (EM) supervision. Providers must not only furnish all EM equipment but must set up the control system, assemble the field staff, and prosecute breaches of conditions. Premier Group and some of its subsidiaries control the operation from the custom-built center in Norwich. The center: (1) handles all prison and court requests for establishment of curfews; (2) records the task, curfewee details and history; (3) organizes any support required to service the curfew; (4) updates any changes; (5) tasks the field force; (6) manages all aspects of the monitoring system; and (7) audits performance. More than 34,000 offenders have been released up to 3 months early but confined to their homes at night by electronic tags. Only 9 percent of this group were reconvicted within 6 months, compared with 40 percent of those not tagged.