NCJ Number
208211
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 84 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2004 Pages: 413-435
Date Published
December 2004
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Forty-nine offenders who were on electronic monitoring following incarceration were surveyed about their experiences and perceptions of it.
Abstract
The questionnaire solicited information on demographics, problems experienced on electronic monitoring, perceptions of electronic monitoring, and opinions about various aspects of electronic monitoring. Offenders who spent part of their sentence in jail and part on electronic monitoring in the community preferred electronic monitoring to jail, and they tended to perceive it as both controlling/restrictive and rehabilitative. The controlling aspect of the monitoring was experienced by most as not being free to determine where they can go and when. Consequently, their sense of freedom was lost. Still, electronic monitoring was viewed as less controlling and less invasive of privacy than jail. The offenders also appreciated being able to interact with family and friends, and a number of the offenders indicated that their relationships with family members had improved under electronic monitoring because of the amount of time they spent at home under monitoring requirements. Others, however, noted various family problems that arose because of the monitoring status. Rehabilitative aspects of electronic monitoring were perceived as being able to work, having time to think about and plan their futures, and having to pattern their lives according to family and work activities. Based on these findings, policy recommendations are to orient offenders about what to expect under electronic monitoring before they are placed on it, to inform the public about the type of offender on electronic monitoring and how it controls them, and to use electronic monitoring in combination with other sanctions to facilitate reintegration into the community. 1 table and 42 references