---
title: House Arrest
description: "\tHouse Arrest – The evidence is promising\r\n\r\n\r\nSummary of the Evidence\r\n\r\n•\tThe evidence on house arrest on recidivism is limited but promising.\r\n•\tThere are few evaluations, but there is evidence that house arrest can be an effective alternative to incarceration.\r\n•\tHouse arrest is often combined with electronic monitoring and a curfew (see electronic monitoring statement for guidance).\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat Is House Arrest?\r\n•\tHouse arrest is a punishment aimed at reducing opportunities for criminal behavior by restricting movement.\r\n•\tHouse arrest can be used as a direct punishment or graduated sanction. There are typically two types:\r\no\tcurfew – the probation agency defines hours when the client can and cannot leave their home\r\no\tdirect home incarceration – the client can only leave their home for court-approved activities (i.e., employment, religious services, food shopping, etc.)\r\n\r\nHow Is It Used?\r\n•\tHouse arrest is a sanction for clients who have a stable address and whose presence there does not pose a danger to themselves or others.\r\no\tAn agency’s perspective on violent behavior may determine the use of house arrest.\r\n•\tHouse arrest orders can be accompanied by electronic monitoring as the way of verifying the client’s location.\r\n•\tTypes of electronic monitoring include:\r\no\thome unit – client wears a transmitter (ankle bracelet) that will alert the probation office if the client leaves home or travels out of range of the home monitor\r\npassive GPS tracking – through client’s cell phone, monitors client’s movement throughout the day and transmits information to the probation office\r\n\r\nHow Can It Be Used to Monitor Compliance?\r\n•\tHouse arrest may be used as an intermediate sanction. \r\n•\tHouse arrest can be effective when combined with a curfew. \r\n•\tHouse arrest increases surveillance on clients while allowing them to keep their job or stay in school.\r\n\r\nHow Can It Be Used as a Supervision Tool?\r\n•\tHouse arrest is not a therapeutic tool.\r\n•\tHouse arrest is a control tool that increases the level of surveillance and reduces the capacity and opportunity to commit crimes.\r\n•\tAs an alternative to incarceration, house arrest can keep clients away from the negative effects of more restrictive sanctions and settings (e.g., work release, jail, prison).\r\n•\tHouse arrest should be promoted as an opportunity for the individual to demonstrate they can comply with conditions. \r\n•\tCompletion of a house arrest sanction should be presented as a way for a client to regain the trust of their officer.\r\n\r\nWhat Are the Costs of House Arrest?\r\n•\tHouse arrest can be a cost-effective alternative to incarceration from the perspective of the justice system.\r\n•\tThe costs of house arrest for an officer are mainly in time and effort, ensuring that the client complies with the conditions of their sanction. \r\n•\tThe costs of house arrest for the client can be extensive.\r\no\tIf accompanied by electronic monitoring, house arrest can present a substantial financial burden on the client and their family.\r\n\tA clients’ financial circumstances should be considered when determining how much they are asked to contribute to the cost of electronic monitoring.\r\no\tClients can suffer from the negative social stigma associated with wearing 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 House Arrest?\r\n•\tSupervision staff report that house arrest is\r\no\tnever appropriate for all low-risk clients and\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for all medium- to high-risk clients.\r\nCompliance Level \r\n•\tSupervision staff report that physical sanctions like house arrest are\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for low-risk clients that are in low and 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\nWhat Should You Expect When Using House Arrest?\t\r\n•\tEvidence of effectiveness as a short-term intervention.\r\n•\tThere is some evidence that effectiveness can be enhanced when house arrest is coupled with electronic monitoring.\r\n•\tThere is some evidence that as a short-term, intermediate sanction, house arrest does not put the community at risk.\r\n•\tHouse arrest and electronic monitoring should not be used as long-term interventions.\r\n•\tHouse arrest can increase the likelihood that clients will not comply with their conditions.\r\n\r\nIs House Arrest an Evidence-Based Practice?\r\n•\tThe evidence supporting house arrest is limited but promising.\r\no\tThere have been a few evaluations that support the effectiveness of house arrest.\r\n\r\nWhat Do People Formerly Involved in the Criminal Legal System Think About House Arrest?\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 house arrest 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•\tOfficers should be aware that house arrest and electronic monitoring place restrictions on clients at home and in the community.\r\n•\tOfficers should be aware of and acknowledge the potentially negative effects for clients (e.g., shame, embarrassment) of being on house arrest.\r\no\tOfficers should help the client develop strategies to manage these negative emotions.\r\n•\tOfficers should remind clients of positive outcomes of house arrest (ability to keep working, not going to jail, remaining with family).\r\n•\tOfficers should communicate that they understand and acknowledge the financial burden being placed on them and their families when sentenced to house arrest.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSpecial Considerations When Using House Arrest With Subpopulations\r\n\r\nGang-Involved\tIndividuals in gangs are less likely to live in healthy and stable housing situations. If a gang-involved client is eligible, house arrest could keep them off the streets and away from delinquent peers. Consequently, officers should be open to house arrest as an alternative sanction only if the client has the proper housing situation.\r\nGeneral Violence\tNone\r\nIntimate Partner Violence\tOfficers should do a thorough investigation of the status of the household before placing an individual with a history of IPV on house arrest. House arrest should only be used in situations where the officer feels confident it will not lead to further violence or abuse.\r\nSerious Mental Illness\tNone\r\nSubstance Use Disorder\tHouse arrest can keep clients with a substance use disorder off the streets at night and away from delinquent peers who may influence them to use."
url: "https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/compliance-based-practices/house-arrest/"
updated: "2023-06-14"
category: "Compliance-Based Practices"
tags:
  - Client Restrictions
  - "Compliance-Based Practices"
  - Promising Practices
  - Sanctions
---

# House Arrest

***House Arrest – The evidence is promising***

Summary of the Evidence

- The evidence on house arrest on recidivism is limited but promising.
- There are few evaluations, but there is evidence that house arrest can be an effective alternative to incarceration.
- House arrest is often combined with electronic monitoring and a curfew (see electronic monitoring statement for guidance).

 

What Is House Arrest?

How Is It Used?

What Do Supervision Staff Think About House Arrest?

Special Considerations When Using House Arrest With Subpopulations

 

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