HOUSE ARREST
The residential home confinement and
Breath Alcohol Monitoring programs, which are commonly known as House Arrest
and BAM, allow low-risk offenders to serve their time in their residences
rather than in secure custody. The participants of the program live at home,
maintain employment and serve on community work programs. Inmates in this
program pay all costs associated with the electronic monitoring. The House
Arrest sentencing option frees up jail bed space for more serious offenders
as well as saves the costs of incarceration.
Electronic monitoring devices used by the
program vary upon the individual situation. Today’s electronic
supervision devices may include the traditional ankle bracelet, global
positioning system or a combination of bracelet and video blood alcohol unit.
For cases in which alcohol is an issue, breath samples may be required
several times daily. As a condition of the program, random drug testing may
take place.
The ankle transmitter “talks”
to a receiving unit that is connected to a telephone line at the
inmate’s residence. If the inmate attempts to disconnect the unit, an
alarm is broadcast to a monitoring station. If the inmate does not make
scheduled calls to the monitoring agency, the alarm is also set off. If the
inmate is on the Breath Alcohol Monitor, scheduled and random calls are made
directing the inmate to blow into a breath alcohol device and look into a
camera simultaneously. A blood alcohol reading is then registered at the
monitoring company. Sheriff’s Office personnel are notified of tests
that show a positive reading.
Global Positioning System or GPS equipment
allows monitoring of frequently visited locations of an offender. The
Sheriff’s Office is notified of all alarms and “walkaways” within moments. Deputies assigned to
monitor inmates participating in this program are on call 24 hours a day,
seven days a week to respond.
In 2006, there was 1, 568 participants
placed on house arrest. This resulted in a savings of 24,281 jail days which
equates to an annual cost savings of $2,027,706.
The House Arrest, Sheriff's Community Work
Program, Inmate Work Program, Consolidated Graffiti Unit and Inmate
Counseling programs function under the Alternatives to Incarceration Unit to
provide consistency and provide for a consolidated unit with versatile staff
able to deal with all situations that arise.
House Arrest Information Sheet
House Arrest Application (PDF - 43kb)
