NCJ Number
133358
Journal
Journal of Offender Monitoring Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: (Fall 1991) Pages: 1,3-4
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The proceedings of the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) meeting in Atlanta in July 1991 suggest that electronic monitoring appears to be increasingly accepted as a correctional tool despite the elusiveness of the conclusions of evaluation research as to its effectiveness.
Abstract
Two formal evaluations of electronic monitoring programs in Oklahoma City and Columbus, Ohio presented at APPA reported no significant impact of electronically monitoring home confinement on offender behavior. A rightward political turn and a general toughening attitude toward criminals may be behind the increasing acceptance of electronic monitoring. Despite some questions as to the wisdom of both the whole intermediate sanctions movement and particular sanctions, the most pressing concerns voiced at APPA's Electronic Monitoring Technical Workshop were how to apply the technology rather than whether it should be used. At the concluding APPA session, a checklist was provided for those agencies considering adopting electronic monitoring. Regular program review emerges as essential even if a formal evaluation is not conducted.