The Adult Probation Department’s Home Confinement Unit operates two separate electronic monitoring (EM) programs for two distinct populations: the "Bischof Law" program that uses Global Positioning Systems (GPS) devices to monitor individuals charged with certain domestic violence offenses, and the curfew program that uses both GPS and Radio Frequency (RF) devices to monitor court-ordered curfews. Both types of technology complement each other and may be more appropriate for different purposes.
The Adult Probation Department does not have the authority to decide who is placed on EM or who is removed from EM. The department only monitors conditions of release or conditions of probation as ordered by the courts.
Information for People on Electronic Monitoring
Curfew
If you are ordered to a curfew with the Adult Probation Department, you can expect to have either a GPS device or an RF device attached to your ankle. This may happen when you are leaving the jail after pretrial release, or when you are at your residence. You will also be given a copy of the rules and regulations for EM. If your curfew is monitored with RF, you will have a "base station" installed to either a landline telephone jack, or connected to a cellular network. You should expect to remain in your residence during your curfew hours. If you are late arriving home or if you leave home early, the device will trigger an alert notifying Adult Probation of a potential violation. This may result in your officer filing a non-compliance report with the court, which can result in sanctions. You should charge your device using the included cable for at least two hours per day. Failure to charge the device may result in your officer filing a non-compliance report.
You can request movement for special circumstances through your officer. Modifications to your curfew hours must be approved by the judge, so talk with your lawyer or public defender.
Bischof Law Monitoring (GPS)
If you are ordered to GPS monitoring for a charge related to domestic violence, you can expect to have a GPS device attached to your ankle. You will be given a copy of the rules and regulations for EM, as well as information on locations you are prohibited from visiting. The Home Confinement Unit may occasionally contact you to verify your location or to check on the status of your device. If you are detected in an exclusion zone, that will trigger an alert notifying Adult Probation of a potential violation. This could result in a new charge of Violation of an Order of Protection or other criminal charges. Attempting to interfere with the device's communication, tampering with the device or failing to charge the battery may result in a non-compliance report or potential law enforcement involvement.
If you are ordered to observe a curfew and are placed on electronic monitoring, you should contact your pretrial officer to ask for a change in your curfew schedule. Temporary changes may be granted for verified healthcare appointments, unexpected changes to work or school schedules, court dates or other unavoidable circumstances.
If your work, school, or family care schedule has changed and you want to have your curfew hours changed, you must request that from the judge overseeing your case. Contact your lawyer or public defender to have them request this change.
If you have an emergency that will cause you to violate your curfew (hospitalization, accident, etc.), you should contact your pretrial officer as soon as possible.
If you know that you will be home late or leave home early (work/school schedule, transportation issues, child care issues, etc.), you should contact your pretrial officer to notify them of the situation. If your schedule changes permanently and will affect your curfew hours, you should talk with your lawyer or public defender to request a modification to your curfew.
If you have an emergency that will cause you to violate your curfew (hospitalization, accident, etc.), you should contact your pretrial officer as soon as possible. Make sure you keep copies of any hospital admission or discharge paperwork, accident or police reports and other documents that verify the emergency.
If you have difficulties with your EM device, you should contact your officer, who will contact the Home Confinement Unit on your behalf.
If you have difficulties with your EM device and you are unable to reach your officer, or you were not assigned an officer, you can call the 24-hour on-duty supervisor at (773) 674-3390.
If you are on the Sheriff's EM program and you have difficulties with your device, you should contact the Sheriff's Office at (877) 326-9198.
There are a few ways to help you figure out which program you may be on. If you are unsure, you should ask your lawyer or public defender, or check any paperwork you received after court.
- If you were ordered to report to a pretrial officer, you are likely on Adult Probation's EM program
- If you were ordered to stay at home during certain hours of the day (7pm to 7am), you are likely on Adult Probation's EM program
- If you were ordered to remain at home 24 hours a day, except for two days of movement (Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday), you are likely on the Sheriff's EM program
- If you are facing a domestic violence charge or have an order of protection preventing you from contacting a victim or complainant, you are likely on Adult Probation's EM program
Electronic Monitoring Topics of Interest
Topic of Interest
Overview of Adult Probation's EM Program
The Home Confinement Unit monitors individuals who have been ordered by the court to serve a period of home detention, to abide by a curfew or who have been ordered to GPS monitoring under Public Act 95-0773 (also known as the Cindy Bischof Law) and Public Act 98-1012. The department uses two types of devices to monitor these conditions: radio frequency (RF) devices and Global Positioning System (GPS) devices.
The Adult Probation Department's electronic monitoring program started in 2009 with the implementation of the Bischof Law, allowing the use of GPS technology for certain individuals charged with violating an order of protection. In 2012, the department began using radio frequency technology to monitor individuals ordered to curfews. This replaced the use of telephone checks and in-person checks. In 2015, the Bischof Law was amended to allow judges to use GPS monitoring for several other domestic violence charges, including stalking and harassment.
Individuals ordered to observe a curfew are charged with or have been convicted of a variety of felony charges, including drug-related offenses, sex offenses, DUI, battery, weapons possession and theft. Individuals ordered to "keep away" from a specific victim/complaining witness are typically charged with an offense against an intimate partner (e.g., violation of an order of protection, domestic battery, aggravated domestic battery, stalking). These individuals are ordered to wear a GPS tracking device to help monitor compliance with orders to stay away from the complaining witness, the complaining witness’s home or workplace, or any other protected address specified on the order of protection.
Topic of Interest
GPS Monitoring (Cindy Bischof Law)
In 2009, new legislation took effect in Illinois that allows the court to order a defendant/probationer charged with or convicted of violating an order of protection to GPS monitoring as a condition of bond/probation/conditional discharge. This law was amended in 2015 to allow GPS monitoring for other types of domestic violence charges, including stalking and harassment.
The GPS Monitoring Program is administered by staff in the Adult Probation Department's Home Confinement Unit. Under the program, a stationary exclusionary zone is established around all protected addresses of the complaining witness/victim. A GPS device is affixed to the individual who is ordered to maintain a minimum distance of 2,500 feet away from the complaining witness/victim at all times. A complaining witness/victim is offered the option to carry a GPS device if they wish to be notified if the defendant/probationer enters an exclusionary zone. If a complaining witness/victim opts to carry the GPS device, they are required to carry a cell phone at all times to receive notifications. The Adult Probation Department will provide a cell phone to a complaining witness/victim who does not own one for the duration of the GPS order.
If the defendant/probationer enters an exclusionary zone, local law enforcement officers are contacted immediately (as well as the complaining witness/victim if they opted for notification). Law enforcement officers will respond to the complaining witness/victim’s location to conduct a well-being check and determine if further action is warranted. Adult Probation Department staff will provide information to the court regarding all violations of the GPS Monitoring Program.
Topic of Interest
Curfew Monitoring
The Adult Probation Department has monitored curfews as part of pretrial release and conditions of probation for several decades. Curfews are typically 12-hour periods where an individual is required to remain in their residence, leaving the remaining 12 hours of the day to go to work or school, attend appointments, and participate in other activities of daily life. In 2012, the department began to implement electronic monitoring of curfews as a way to increase accountability, improve efficiency and promote public safety. Prior to 2012, curfews were monitored through phone calls or random in-person checks.
The department uses both radio frequency (RF) and GPS technology to monitor curfews. RF devices are attached to an individual's ankle and communicate wirelessly with a receiver located in the residence. If the receiver does not detect the body-worn device during scheduled curfew hours, an alert will be generated and department staff will investigate. GPS devices are also worn around the ankle, but do not need a base station or receiver in the residence to function. Instead, they use satellite signals to determine an individual's location and will send an alert if the individual is outside of the inclusion zone around their residence during curfew hours. In situations where the environment causes poor GPS reception, a small beacon can be activated in the residence to act as a base station or receiver, similar to an RF device.
Individuals with a curfew can request to have their curfew hours modified based on work or school schedules, and can request temporary movement with advance notice and verification. Requests should be made through the assigned probation officer.
Topic of Interest
Is Electronic Monitoring Effective?
Since its introduction, electronic monitoring has been studied from several different perspectives. One consistent finding from across the research literature on EM has been inconsistency. Some studies have found that EM can be effective at improving outcomes, while other studies have found that it has no effect on outcomes or is related to worse outcomes. This inconsistency comes from the widely different use cases for EM across the United States.
One recent, multi-site study1 that examined the effectiveness of EM as a pretrial release condition found that EM did not improve court appearance rates or public safety rates when compared to release with conditions. Older studies2,3 have found that EM is not necessarily effective at improving outcomes even when it is used with therapeutic interventions. Research on the use of EM with specific target populations, like gang members4 or sex offenders5, has found improved outcomes for these groups. Other studies have shown slightly improved outcomes for sentenced individuals released to community supervision with an EM condition6. A recent study conducted in Illinois with individuals released from the Illinois Department of Corrections7 found that EM was not related to differences in new arrests or re-incarcerations.
Overall, the effectiveness of EM is dependent on how it is used, the risk level of population it is used with, the rules and regulations of the program in that jurisdiction, and the goals of the specific program.
1Anderson, C.; Valentine, E.; & Holman, D. (2023). Assessing the Effectiveness of Pretrial Special Conditions. New York City, NY: MDRC.
2Bonta, J., Wallace-Capretta, S., & Rooney, J. (2000a). A quasi-experimental evaluation of an intensive rehabilitation supervision program. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 27(3), 312-329.
3Bonta, J., Wallace-Capretta, S., & Rooney, J. (2000b). Can electronic monitoring make a difference? An evaluation of three Canadian programs. Crime & Delinquency, 46(1), 61-75.
4Gies, S. V., Gainey, R., Cohen, M. I., Healy, E., Yeide, M., Bekelman, A., & Bobnis, A. (2013). Monitoring high-risk gang offenders with GPS technology: An evaluation of the California supervision program final report. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
5Gies, S. V., Gainey, R., Cohen, M. I., Healy, E., Duplantier, D., Yeide, M., & Hopps, M. (2012). Monitoring high-risk sex offenders with GPS technology: An evaluation of the California Supervision Program, final report. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
6Bales, W. D., Mann, K., Blomberg, T. G., Gaes, G. G., Barrick, K., Dhungana, K. and McManus, B. (2010). A quantitative and qualitative assessment of electronic monitoring. Tallahassee, Fla.: Florida State University, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Center for Criminology and Public Policy Research.
7Gleicher, L., Otto, H. D., Green, E., & Watkins, W. (2020). An exploratory study of the discretionary use of electronic monitoring for individuals released to mandatory supervised release (MSR) in Illinois. Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.