Electronic monitoring can be used as an alternative to a custodial sentence or to strengthen the public protection element of a community based sentence. It also includes the monitoring of prisoners who qualify for supervised early release programmes. This service supports and monitors prisoners making the transition back into the community.

How does it work?

Electronic monitoring works by way of a transmitter and monitoring unit installed in a subject's home. The transmitter is a tag securely fitted to the subject's ankle and can be monitored either by a unit connected to a telephone line at the offenders home or via satellite and GPS. The subject is then monitored to ensure they adhere to the restrictions of their particular curfew order.

Curfew orders are issued by the courts as an alternative to a custodial sentence. The curfew order is a community sentence and can last up to six months. Curfew can also form an element of juvenile bail orders for 12-16 year olds.

Court Orders can insist an offender remains away from certain areas or buildings and the systems can be set up only to record infringements of these orders and to sound alarms when they are broken.

Home Detention Curfews (HDC) issued by prison governors to monitor prisoners on early release. An HDC is available to prisoners serving between three months to under four years and each curfew can last up to four months. Early release from a Detention and Training Order for offenders under 18 is also enabled by electronic monitoring.

Voice Verification to monitor the compliance of a community order, bail or early release licence. Offenders are required to “Check in” by calling and registering with the control centre, via intelligent voice recognition software, on a regular basis.

Scotland

The Restriction of Liberty Order (RLO) curfews are imposed in Scottish courts as an alternative to custodial sentences. This alternative was introduced in Scotland by Section 5 of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997. The legislation also provides for the use of electronic monitoring equipment to monitor offenders' compliance with the terms of their orders.

Legislation allows the courts to impose an RLO for any period up to a maximum of 12 months. Scotland is unique in Europe by providing legislation to restrict an offender from a particular place as well as the restriction to a particular place.

New legislation in Scotland now allows electronic monitoring to be used as a condition of a Probation or Drug Treatment and Testing Order.