NCJ Number
179775
Journal
Corrections Technology and Management Volume: 3 Issue: 5 Dated: September-October 1999 Pages: 12-14
Date Published
1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is probably the best investment taxpayers have ever made and is now being offered to monitor the location of parolees and probationers around the clock.
Abstract
The person being monitored wears a bracelet or wristband with a transmitter that communicates with a tracking unit that includes a GPS receiver and a microprocessor used to monitor a person's location constantly. The offender's location can be monitored to within about 168 feet using the commercial frequencies transmitted by GPS satellites. The data center sends an alert to the individual's parole or probation officer whenever the person violates any restrictions. The units can be programmed to include inclusion zones where the offender can be and exclusion or hot zones where the person cannot be. The person wearing the bracelet hears a warning sound that becomes progressively louder until the offender acknowledges the cue and corrects the violation. The database operates inside an automobile and can report the vehicle's location, speed, and direction. The system can track offenders in downtown areas and in most buildings. Local, State, and Federal officials in many States are currently using the technology. Photographs and map