The Adult Probation Department’s Home Confinement Unit (HCU) operates two separate electronic monitoring (EM) programs for two distinct populations, the Global Positioning Systems (“GPS”) program and the Radio Frequency (“RF”) program. Neither system is superior to the other, but they are appropriate for different purposes. HCU does not have the authority to decide who is placed on EM; HCU monitors conditions of bond as ordered by the courts.
The Global Positioning Systems (“GPS”) program operates under the authority of the Cindy Bischof Law, and is designed to provide a layer of protection for victims of certain domestic violence offenses. This program uses a GPS device attached to the ankle of a defendant to continuously monitor their whereabouts. Victims may provide a list of protected addresses, including work, school, or home, that are surrounded by an “exclusion zone.” If a defendant enters an exclusion zone, this triggers a series of alerts to the victim, law enforcement, and HCU staff. Orders to GPS monitoring originate in Domestic Violence Court after a domestic violence assessment and a recommendation from the Assistant State’s Attorney.
HCU also operates a separate program that uses radio frequency (“RF”) technology to monitor and enforce curfews that are a condition of bond or a condition of probation. About 85% of curfews are for pretrial defendants. This program uses an RF device attached to the ankle of a defendant that is in continuous communication with a base station in the residence. The base station can be connected to a landline or a cellular network. If the body-worn monitor is outside of communication range with the base station during programmed curfew hours, the base station sends an automated alert to a contracted vendor. These alerts are forwarded to the supervising pretrial officer for verification of a violation. If a violation is verified (e.g., the defendant left during curfew hours without authorized movement), the officer sends a violation report to the court.
The United States Courts maintain that GPS is appropriate when there is a clear need to monitor the exact whereabouts of an individual, especially in relation to another individual or location, and that RF is appropriate to determine whether a defendant is in their residence during curfew hours: How Location Monitoring Works | United States Courts (uscourts.gov). While the Sheriff uses GPS to monitor 24-hour curfews, there are cases where the technology is prone to “GPS drift” in high rise buildings and other large, multiunit dwellings. This can make it difficult to accurately monitor that a defendant is home during curfew hours.
Statistical Reports:
Home Confinement Unit - Curfew (EM) Population By Charge as of 6/17/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 6/24/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 6/17/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 6/10/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 6/3/22
Home Confinement Unit - Curfew (EM) Population By Charge as of 5/20/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 5/27/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 5/20/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 5/13/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 5/6/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 4/29/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 4/22/22
Home Confinement Unit - Curfew (EM) Population By Charge as of 4/15/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 4/15/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 4/08/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 4/01/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 3/25/22
Home Confinement Unit - Curfew (EM) Population By Charge as of 3/18/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 3/18/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 3/11/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 3/4/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 2/25/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 2/17/22
Home Confinement Unit - Curfew (EM) Population By Charge as of 2/17/22
Weekly Curfew (EM) and GPS Population and Demographics Report as of 2/9/22
Home Confinement Unit - Curfew (EM) Population By Charge as of 1/12/22
Home Confinement Unit - Curfew (EM) Population By Charge as of 12/31/21