In the United States, there are more than 4.5 million people on probation or parole nationwide. This is nearly double the number of people currently in incarceration centers.
2.3 million people a year exit probation or parole after failing to complete the program.
A Probation ankle monitor is not an uncommon sight. You may use them every day as a part of your job in law enforcement.
The future is bright with new GPS technology used for probation monitoring. This allows for even greater surveillance for those on probation and parole. Newfound tracking applications are a great technological advancement for criminal justice.
GPS monitoring is the future of probation monitoring. It helps combat the overcrowding crisis and slashes facility costs. Here are 7 factors to consider with the international and local successes of GPS probation monitoring.
How It Works
Picture a GPS in your vehicle. Its job is to track where you are on the globe and give you a snapshot of your positioning. The GPS technology developed from probation and parole are very similar.
The ankle monitor is equipped with the tracking technology needed to serve as a GPS.
Those using the ankle monitor to fulfill conditions of parole or probation are required to wear the ankle monitor at all times. In doing so, the officer is able to receive data 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the whereabouts, via the individual’s probation monitor.
As with previous probation terms, there are a limited number of locations that a defendant is able to go to. Pre-approved locations may include work, the gym, and the grocery store.
The probation officer will be notified immediately if the individual goes to an unapproved location.
The officer is then able to track the defendant’s location and behavior from the probation monitor.
The GPS probation monitor can also be used for those who have been placed on house arrest. Individuals are expected to wear the monitor within their own homes, and they are not to leave. Law enforcement would be notified if they were to exit their home.
Who Can Do It
Just as any person convicted of a crime, you must meet certain criteria for release in order to go on probation with GPS monitoring. The conditions of probation and release are accounted for, along with many other factors when deciding if this is right for a defendant.
Some of the factors for consideration include whether or not the crime committed was violent.
Individuals with a rather clean record will be chosen to use the GPS monitoring technology, whereas any person considered a danger to society would continue their in-facility incarceration.
Individuals with certain illnesses may also do better with an ankle monitor and GPS technology than in a detention facility. A well-versed attorney can help with house arrest or probation for a client with a GPS monitor.
Old Habits Die Hard
As discussed before, the ankle monitor tracks individuals at all times. It can’t be taken off or turned off. The data is sent constantly to the officer working on the probation and parole case.
Due to this constant surveillance, defendants cannot continue purchasing drugs or drinking excessively. It also may remove certain individuals out of a defendant’s life who were not positive influences.
Electronic monitoring can cause positive behavior change. It can even remove certain people from the defendant’s life. These concrete changes can have a major impact on reducing recidivism. It will ensure that an offender can eventually assimilate into society.
Comfortable Alternative
The GPS ankle monitor forms a very tight link between the defendant, his officer, and the department. While the level of surveillance may concern some individuals, it is a lot more comfortable than serving time in a correctional facility.
These monitors allow individuals to serve their sentences fully and rightfully from the safety of their own homes. This technology is extremely helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic. It greatly reduces overcrowding.
The benefits of reducing overcrowding include making for a more manageable population for officers and wardens. It encourages a lower spread of disease including COVID-19. Limiting overcrowding also allows for more opportunities for in-prison programs that reduce recividism and promote education.
Serving time with the GPS ankle monitor is healthier and safer for everyone involved.
Violations Lead to Harsh Punishments
While the GPS monitor seems like the best alternative for serving a sentence, violating the means of probation, parole, or house arrest while wearing one is very harsh. Since probation is a privilege, disobeying during this period is considered very deviant.
Violations may result in having to finish the sentence in a correctional facility and receiving another charge for not acting in accordance with the probationary period.
International Reach of Electronic Probation Monitoring
The span of the GPS technology used for probation and parole goes far beyond the borders of the United States. These products are being implemented across Europe as well.
A $1.2 million project was announced in Europe to bring electronic monitoring for probation and parole nationally. Many European countries have already implemented GPS monitoring technology into their correctional system, like Latvia.
The Future is Bright
GPS monitoring technology for correctional means is taking the industry by storm. It is the next big thing for law enforcement, sentencing, and probation monitoring. With a great deal of advantages, this advancement is sure to impact the industry greatly.
Visit Kapatec for a comprehensive collection of all the GPS devices that meet your needs. Explore the world of these high-tech monitoring devices and purchase them for your department or company.