NCJ Number
111751
Journal
Offender Monitoring Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (December 1987-January 1988) Pages: 4-5,14
Date Published
1988
Length
3 pages
Annotation
An interview with one of the owners of American Monitoring Systems focuses on its work-release, home-confinement electronic monitoring services for Chester County, Pa.
Abstract
The company provides equipment and central station services but rarely has direct contact with the monitored offenders. It informs corrections officials on the whereabouts of the offenders. The county contracted with the company because the county's work release center was not sufficiently large to house the number of offenders eligible for work release. The company is paid for its services from fees the county collects from monitorees. From the county's perspective, having a fee for service payment arrangement instead of a long-term equipment lease or having to purchase its own equipment has worked well. The incentives for the company to keep its rates low are the appeal of a jurisdiction's doing its own monitoring and the rise of other companies involved in offender monitoring. Program effectiveness is enhanced by the careful selection of offenders and minimal equipment problems. The monitoring company is not wed to any particular equipment vendor but can select equipment according to a client's needs. 2 notes.