Introduction
In the past few years there has been exponential growth in the Electronic Monitoring Program. The impetus was a mix of several components: the improvement in monitoring and tracking technologies, jail over-crowding, recidivism and a new movement for a more stable re-entry process for the criminal population. Consequently, several unique programs are now available that address a range of offenders. Each program has a team that administers the program and coordinates with the referring agency and the courts. A lead officer on each team oversees staff and their caseloads. In addition, members of the field work team make on site calls to offenders, check equipment issues, and generally assist all of the other teams on a daily basis. Currently the electronic monitoring program consists of 7 teams, each tailored specifically to address the needs of the referring agency and offenders.
From October 1, 2008 through April 30, 2008, 3695 people were sentenced to monitoring. On any given day the electronic monitoring program monitors an average of 600 offenders serving an average sentence length of 37 days. One of the benefits of electronic monitoring is to allow most offenders to maintain their jobs and to continue living at home. During this time period 55% of offenders were employed. Our program has a successful completion rate of 89%, thus offering an effective alternative to incarceration.