Appropriateness Statement Outline
The costs to the criminal legal system, supervision staff, and clients associated with the practice.
Types of Contacts
- In-person/face-to-face contacts are time- and resource-intensive as they require officers to spend time meeting with clients.
- Telephone contacts require less time and resources than face-to-face contacts since officers can perform them quickly.
- Kiosk reporting costs vary widely from department to department. They may require substantial up-front costs to set up. But because they do not require officers to contact clients directly, they can be less time- and resource-intensive than face-to-face contacts.
Frequency of Contact
- The cost of frequency of contact for supervision staff and clients is measured in time.
- Officers who have increased contacts with clients have less time for other job duties.
- Clients often manage busy schedules in order to comply with their supervision conditions. Increasing contacts with them occupies their time, including time away from employment, and makes managing their schedules more difficult.
- More frequency of contact increases a client’s transportation costs.
Collateral and Employer Contacts
- There are no financial costs for these contacts. The main cost attached to collateral and employer contacts for the officer is time.
- There may be a negative cost to a client by highlighting their criminal record during employer contacts.
Drug Testing
- Urinalysis tests are relatively cheap.
- If technical violations are given for positive tests, drug testing can bring costs equal to those of the sanctions (e.g., jail time).
Electronic Monitoring
- EM can be a cost-effective alternative to incarceration.
- The costs of EM for an officer are mainly in time and effort, ensuring that the client is complying with the conditions of their sanction.
- The costs of EM for the client can be extensive.
- EM can present a substantial financial burden to a client.
- Clients’ financial circumstances should be considered when determining if/how much they contribute to the cost of EM.
- Clients can suffer from negative social stigma from having to wear the electronic monitoring equipment in public.
- Alternative GPS technology may be less intrusive to a client’s life (see phone-based monitoring statement).
- EM can present a substantial financial burden to a client.
Financial Restrictions
- There are no costs to the justice system for issuing fines, fees, and restitution.
- The costs of fines, fees, and restitution to the client can include
- extra financial burden
- punitive responses to failing to pay
- increased difficulty of reintegrating into society
House Arrest
- House arrest can be a cost-effective alternative to incarceration from the perspective of the justice system.
- The costs of house arrest for an officer are mainly in time and effort, ensuring that the client complies with the conditions of their sanction.
- The costs of house arrest for the client can be extensive.
- If accompanied by electronic monitoring, house arrest can present a substantial financial burden on the client and their family.
- A clients’ financial circumstances should be considered when determining how much they are asked to contribute to the cost of electronic monitoring.
- Clients can suffer from the negative social stigma associated with wearing the electronic monitoring equipment in public.
- Alternative GPS technology may be less intrusive to a client’s life (see phone-based monitoring statement).
- If accompanied by electronic monitoring, house arrest can present a substantial financial burden on the client and their family.
Phone-Based Monitoring
- The main cost of phone-based monitoring for officers is their time and effort.
- The costs of phone-based monitoring for clients is minimal.
- Financial costs can include the cell phone and the charge for minutes or text messages. Usually, this is borne by the client, which can be a burden.
Anger Management
- Clients typically pay for anger management programs if there is a fee involved.
- This can be problematic if the client is unable to afford the program.
Feedback
Use the form below to contact the team behind the Appropriateness Statement Package.