Why Electronic Monitoring is Working for this Small Wisconsin County
The Sheriff’s Department in Walworth County has worked for years to ease jail overcrowding and help those charged with non-violent crimes stay out of jail, keep their job and remain sober. One way they have been successful is with their electronic monitoring program. Walworth County residents sentenced to Huber (work release program) must submit an application for the program and complete a background check. Defendants are required to pay $18.00 per day and must submit to regular alcohol breath tests, UAs and random house checks.
The initial program was implanted in 2012 and was estimated to save taxpayers millions. Electronic monitoring helps law enforcement keep eyes on defendants at all times during their monitoring period. The program helped the county to eliminate an multimillion dollar jail expansion project and has been successful in other areas according to the GazetteXtra, a local paper reporting on the issue during its initial implementation. Other counties have used electronic monitoring for decades with great success according to the article.
Judges continue to have discretion over which inmates are eligible for the program. Violent, repeat offenders are not being put back on the street. Jurisdictions throughout the country have used electronic monitoring and SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring devices to monitor defendants and ease jail overcrowding, saving taxpayers millions.