County ‘Leashed’ Inmate Program

The growing number of supervised electronic confinement programs throughout the state and the nation are receiving increased media attention. Two of your paper’s recent articles, “House Arrest Is a Worthy Innovation -- If It’s Not Just for the Well-Off” and the profile of “Inmates on a Leash” about the San Diego County Probation Department’s program, are examples.

Orange County opened a 12-month pilot program in October, 1986, to test the electronic surveillance concept and evaluate its effectiveness. The program has been a tremendous success. Ninety-five inmates, mainly from our work furlough population, have entered the 25-slot program. All but three have been successful participants. They continue to be confined but are able to work and support their families, make court-ordered fine and restitution payments, as well as pay a substantial amount of the program costs. To date, over 3,542 jail bed days have been saved.

The approach we have taken in Orange County utilizes low cost telephone-based equipment backed up by on-site supervision by probation staff. We have validated our ability to utilize this new technology and believe that it is an effective ongoing alternative to the use of more expensive confinement resources.

Innovative programs such as electronic confinement that use modern technology must be tested to determine if offenders can be held accountable for their behavior in safe, cost-effective programs that will also allow them to meet their financial obligation to their victims and the public. I firmly believe that the pilot supervised electronic program has shown itself to be an effective option.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

Chief Probation Officer

County of Orange