Electronic Monitoring

Cailin Frusti
Intro to Parole and Probation
09 March 2017
 Introduced to the criminal justice system in the late twentieth century, electronic

monitoring has proven to be quite beneficial to our society. Although it did not gain much

attention when first introduced, electronic monitoring is now a major part of community

supervision in America today. Upon release on parole, many individuals are required to use an

electronic monitoring system to track them and ensure the safety of the community. There are

several different forms of electronic monitoring. Although each have the same concept, each are

very unique and different.

One of the more commonly used forms of electronic monitoring is known as active

monitoring. In this form, the offender wears an electronic monitoring device, usually worn on

their ankle. By sending out and transmitting signals, this ankle device can keep track of the

offenders location. However, it keeps track of the offenders location in his/her house or the area

around their residence. If the device receiving the signals and monitoring the ankle devices

location does not receive a signal, then this device notifies the parole officer to inform them that

the offender has left his residence. The officer would then figure out where the offender is and

why the offender left his residence when instructed not to.

The second type of electronic monitoring is known as passive monitoring. Although this

uses a similar device to that of active monitoring, they are different in how they monitor the

offender. Like the active monitoring, passive monitoring requires the offender to wear a device.

It can either be worn on their ankle or wrist, but many prefer to wear it on their ankle. The

offender receives random, computer operated telephone calls throughout their monitoring to

verify that they are at the location they are specified to be at, more times than not their home.

The telephone call would tell the offender to scan their monitoring device, worn on either their

ankle or wrist, onto another device placed in their home. This is just one way that the passive
monitoring system of electronic monitoring can confirm that the offender is where they are

supposed to be. When the computerized telephone call occurs, another method would be to have

a voice recognition test run of the person who answers the phone. This would be to ensure that

the offender is the person actually answering the phone in the specified location. They do so by

having the offender repeat a set of words that the computerized phone call tells him/her to. If the

passive monitoring senses that the offender is not where they are supposed to be, the system

alerts the proper authorities and the offenders location is investigated.

The final type of electronic monitoring system is known as alcohol monitoring. The most

popular device used for such monitoring is known as SCRAM, which stands for secure

continuous remote alcohol monitor. Like the other two types of electronic monitoring, this device

is worn around the offenders ankle. However, instead of tracking the offenders whereabouts, it

tracks the offenders alcohol intake. According to the Michigan Department of Corrections,

This technology also uses fuel cell technology, but monitors for alcohol consumption

twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven days per week. The S.C.R.A.M. device takes

readings 24 hours per day. Each sample is tested and the readings are stored in the

bracelet. Those readings are transmitted to a host computer through the use of a modem

at a pre-determined time (Michigan Department of Corrections).

In other words, it takes a sample of the offenders perspiration located on the skin in direct

contact with the device. It collects a sample roughly every half hour and tests the sample for any

alcohol content in the offenders system. It stores the data collected and sends it back to the

proper authorities. If the offender has consumed any alcohol, the proper procedures will be

initiated. However, like all technologies, S.C.R.A.M. has its limitations. According to an article

written by the U.S. Department of Justice, the client wearing the device must upload the data to
the computer by the use of a landline. Some offenders do not have such technology in their

home, which would limit the use of this device. Another limitation presented in this article is like

all technology, it can sometimes fail. Monitoring individuals with equipment failures, such as

batteries running down and other malfunctions, can also be labor intensive (U.S. Department of

Justice). Such occurrences can make more work for the parole officer, although this does not

offset the many benefits of such devices.

Officials use these electronic monitoring systems for a multitude of purposes. A major

reason why to use such devices is that it lowers the chance of recidivism. According to the U.S.

Department of Justice,

A large NIJ-funded study of Florida offenders placed on electronic monitoring found

that monitoring significantly reduces the likelihood of failure under community

supervision. The decline in the risk of failure is about 31 percent compared with

offenders placed on other forms of community supervision U.S. Department of Justice,

2011).

Knowing that they are being closely monitored by the device at any given time during the day,

not to mention all hours of the day, the offender is less likely to go out and commit another

crime. This leads to the decrease in recidivism in the parole process. Another benefit of

electronic monitoring devices is that is greatly helps parole officers. It helps the amount of work

they have to do by having the computer keep track of the offenders whereabouts and other

components, such as any alcohol intake, which helps them tremendously considering their heavy

caseload.

References
Michigan Department of Corrections. (n.d.). Electronic Monitoring of Offenders in the
Community. Retrieved from: http://www.michigan.gov/corrections/0,4551,7-119-
1435_1498-5032--,00.html
U.S. Department of Justice. (2011 September). Electronic Monitoring Reduces Recidivism.
Retrieved from: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/234460.pdf
U.S. Department of Justice. (n.d.). Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM)
Technology Evaluability Assessment. Retrieved from:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/secure-continuous-remote-alcohol.pdf