High-Tech Device Frees Jail Space
In Marion County, Ind., authorities hope to reduce the inmate population in jails by monitoring suspects at home using a Global Positioning System (GPS).
Currently, 27 people charged with domestic violence and other crimes are using the GPS-based home detention system established by Community Corrections.
Suspects wear an ankle cuff and must always carry a box with a GPS receiver and a cell phone. The GPS receiver gets data from satellites, which pinpoint the suspect round the clock. The cell phone sends information to a centralized computer system and allows monitors to track the suspect on a map.
If a suspect is near a forbidden zone, a message is sent to officials at Community Corrections via email, pager, or fax. However, the system stops working if a suspect goes to a rural area, cuts off the cuff, or enters a large building that obstructs signals.
The system costs about $10 per day, in comparison to $40 per day for incarceration at a jail.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Indianapolis Star (01/02/03) P. 1B; Ryckaert, Vic.
