---
title: Electronic Monitoring
description: "\tElectronic Monitoring – The evidence is inconclusive\r\n\r\n\r\nSummary of the Evidence\r\n\r\n•\tThe evidence of the effectiveness of electronic monitoring (EM) to reduce recidivism is inconclusive.\r\n•\tThe empirical evidence is both limited and mixed.\r\n•\tEvidence shows EM can be effective when combined with other programming (e.g., substance use treatment programs).\r\n•\tThe costs of EM can be a burden to the individual.\r\n•\tWearing EM technology in public can be stigmatizing to clients.\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat Is Electronic Monitoring?\r\n•\tEM is a generic term for electronic surveillance. It encompasses a variety of strategies such as radio frequency electronic monitoring, GPS (global position satellite) tracking devices, and voice recognition.\r\n•\tA variety of probation conditions may utilize EM for accountability purposes, including:\r\no\thouse arrest (Individuals are restricted to their house)\r\no\tcurfews (limits on when a person can be outside of their residence)\r\no\trestraining orders (requirement that a person does not go near a home, facility, or other physical location)\r\n\r\nHow Is It Used?\r\n•\tEM is typically used either to replace incarceration as a graduated sanction or to modify a sentence for greater monitoring.\r\n•\tIf an officer thinks a client needs more oversight, the officer should work with the court to authorize the addition of EM.\r\n•\tTypes of electronic monitoring include:\r\no\thome unit – client wears a transmitter (e.g., ankle monitor) that sends an alert if the client leaves a physical location or travels outside the monitor’s range\r\no\tpassive GPS tracking – transmits the physical location of an individual; can be available through a smartphone \r\n\r\nHow Can It Be Used to Monitor Compliance?\r\n•\tEM can track accountability and compliance.\r\n•\tEM may be used as a graduated sanction.\r\n•\tEM is most effective when used alongside evidence-based treatments. \r\n\r\nHow Can It Be Used as a Supervision Tool?\r\n•\tEM by itself is not a “treatment” that directly targets values, cognitions, or skills. \r\n•\tEM is a control tool that can increase the level of surveillance and reduce the capacity and opportunity to commit crimes.\r\n•\tEM is most effective for medium- to high-risk clients when combined with evidence-based programming (e.g., substance use treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy). \r\n•\tThere’s some evidence that EM can be used to offer information to clients in real time related to their whereabouts (e.g., location of nearby substance-use meetings). \r\n\r\nWhat Are the Costs of EM? \r\n•\tEM can be a cost-effective alternative to incarceration.\r\n•\tThe costs of EM for an officer are mainly in time and effort, ensuring that the client is complying with the conditions of their sanction. \r\n•\tThe costs of EM for the client can be extensive.\r\no\tEM can present a substantial financial burden to a client.\r\n\tClients’ financial circumstances should be considered when determining if/how much they contribute to the cost of EM.\r\no\tClients can suffer from negative social stigma from having to wear the electronic monitoring equipment in public.\r\n\tAlternative GPS technology may be less intrusive to a client’s life (see phone-based monitoring statement).\r\n\r\nWhat Do Supervision Staff Think About EM?\r\n•\tSupervision staff report that EM is\r\no\tnever appropriate for low-risk clients and\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for all medium- to high-risk clients.\r\n\r\nCompliance Level \r\n•\tSupervision staff report that physical sanctions like EM are\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for low-risk clients that are in low or moderate compliance with their supervision conditions,\r\no\tnever appropriate for low-risk clients that are in high compliance with their supervision conditions,\r\no\talways appropriate for medium- to high-risk clients that are in low compliance with their supervision conditions, and\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for medium- to high-risk clients that are in medium or high compliance with their supervision conditions.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat Should You Expect When Using EM?\r\n•\tEM is effective when it is being used (typically 3–4 months), but it is unclear whether this leads to a long-term reduction in criminal behavior.\r\n•\tThere is evidence of positive impact on medium- and high-risk individuals when combined with evidence-based treatment.\r\no\tThis combination may not be effective for low-risk individuals.\r\n•\tThere is a small amount of evidence of positive effects on individuals who have committed sex offenses.\r\n•\tIndividuals on EM say it increases perceptions of being caught if they break the law and increases the effort required to both offend and avoid detection.\r\n\r\nIs EM an Evidence-Based Practice?\r\n•\tThe evidence supporting EM is inconclusive. Evaluations are limited in number and their results are mixed.\r\n\r\nWhat Do People Formerly Involved in the Criminal Legal System Think About EM?\r\n•\tPeople with lived experience in the criminal legal system (the “criminal justice” or “legal” system is referred to as the criminal legal system in this document) report that EM is\r\no\tnever appropriate for all low-risk clients and\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for all medium- to high-risk clients.\r\n\r\nCommunication That Reinforces Officers’ Role as Change Agent (Messaging)\r\n•\tOfficer should be aware of the restrictions EM places on clients at home and in the community.\r\n•\tOfficers should be aware of and acknowledge the potentially harmful effects for clients (e.g., shame, embarrassment) of being on EM.\r\no\tOfficers should help clients develop strategies to manage these negative emotions.\r\n•\tOfficers should be aware of and acknowledge the potential financial burden placed on clients and their families when considering EM.\r\n•\tClients should be reminded of potential positive outcomes of EM (e.g., ability to keep working, not going to jail, remaining with family) when discussing EM.\r\n•\tOfficers should promote EM as an opportunity for the individual to demonstrate they can comply with conditions.\r\no\tCompletion of an EM sanction should be presented as a way for a client to regain the trust of their officer.\r\n\r\nImplementation Considerations\r\n\r\nEnhancers\tPitfalls\r\n•\tOfficers who give EM in lieu of jail time can be seen as lenient.\r\n•\tOfficers should allow clients to voice the difficulties they experience with EM.\r\n•\tOfficers should present EM as an opportunity for the client to regain the trust of the officer.\r\n\r\n•\tAfter successful completion of EM, a client should be in good standing on supervision.\r\n\t•\tOfficers who are overly authoritarian when discussing EM or giving the sanction reduce the likelihood clients will comply with the conditions.\r\n•\tIf the financial burden of EM is not considered, EM could cause financial burdens that could reduce a client’s likelihood of success on supervision.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSpecial Considerations When Using Electronic Monitoring with Subpopulations\r\n\r\nGang-Involved\tEM can be used to limit a gang-involved client from frequenting areas where they are most likely to spend time with fellow gang members or other delinquent peers.\r\nGeneral Violence\tNone\r\nIntimate Partner Violence\tEM can be used in accompaniment with restraining orders to ensure compliance. EM can also be used to limit a client’s movement away from areas where their victim frequents (i.e., home, place of work).\r\nSerious Mental Illness\tIndividuals who have SMI may have increased difficulty both affording and complying with the conditions of EM. \r\nSubstance Use Disorder\tNone"
url: "https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/compliance-based-practices/electronic-monitoring/"
updated: "2023-06-14"
category: "Compliance-Based Practices"
tags:
  - Client Monitoring
  - Client Restrictions
  - "Compliance-Based Practices"
  - Inconclusive Evidence Practices
---

# Electronic Monitoring

***Electronic Monitoring – The evidence is inconclusive***

Summary of the Evidence

- The evidence of the effectiveness of electronic monitoring (EM) to reduce recidivism is inconclusive.
- The empirical evidence is both limited and mixed.
- Evidence shows EM *can be* effective when combined with other programming (e.g., substance use treatment programs).
- The costs of EM can be a burden to the individual.
- Wearing EM technology in public can be stigmatizing to clients.

 

What Is Electronic Monitoring?

How Is It Used?

What Do Supervision Staff Think About EM?

Implementation Considerations

Special Considerations When Using Electronic Monitoring with Subpopulations

 

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