San Diego County Inmates at Home in ‘House-Arrest’ Program

Convicted of a misdemeanor, an offender is sentenced to 30 days--at home.

Under a program begun in San Diego County last July, a select few “low-risk” criminals are being held under “house arrest,” forbidden to leave their home except to go to work, their movements monitored by an electronic transmitter attached to an ankle.

If the prisoner strays more than 150 feet from a device hooked to a home telephone, the absence is automatically registered by the sensor with a central computer at the county Administration Center.

On July 11, the San Diego County Probation Department became the first agency in California to adopt the program. Although it will not be formally evaluated until January, early reports are that the home surveillance program appears to be a success.

‘Working Out Well’

“So far, so good,” said Ron Barkett, a county probation officer who oversees the work-furlough program. “It seems to be working out well with us.”

So far, there have been no escape attempts among the inmates in the program, Barkett said.

Currently, 27 people are serving sentences averaging 30 days in their homes for such crimes as drunk driving, petty theft or second-degree burglary, Barkett said. The program will eventually hold 50 offenders, after the Probation Department receives all the necessary equipment, he said.

The greatest advantage of electronic surveillance is its low cost. Incarcerating someone at the county Work-Furlough Center costs the county $28 a day, of which only $15 is covered by fees charged to the criminal, Barkett said. The cost of home surveillance is less than a third of the jail costs, with the entire burden borne by the participant, he said.

Relieves Overcrowding

The program also has relieved severe overcrowding in the work-furlough program. Before electronic home surveillance was implemented, the list of offenders waiting to get into the program numbered more than 300, Barkett said.

“It sometimes took two or three months before they could get in,” Barkett said. “Now, we can get people in within a week or two of their commitment.”

But while home surveillance has helped streamline operations in the work-furlough program, Barkett said, “the way we’re using the program does not truly affect jail overcrowding.” The program is not appropriate for many inmates serving time for serious offenses.