How is Global Positioning Systems (GPS) used in probation. What are some advantages and disadvantages of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) being used in probation?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) use a series of satellites to monitor and locate offenders. The Florida Department of Corrections first initiated this program to track probationers in real time at any point during the day or night (Champion, 2002). This system is far superior to any other program of supervision because it ensures that probation officers have near-instantaneous notification of an offender’s violation of his or her community supervision. With this system, supervision officers can even tell which street the offender is on within any part of the country. Furthermore, GPS can be programmed to detect areas of inclusion or exclusion within the limits of offender travel. This means that if an offender enters a certain area that is restricted, the supervision officer is instantly notified Community supervision programs utilize military-type technology to keep track of offenders. GPS devices use 24 military satellites to determine the exact location of a coordinate. By using the satellite monitoring and remote tracking, offenders can be tracked to their exact location. GPS tracking used with offenders is joined with an ankle or wrist device that sends a signal to a tracking device that houses a microtransmitter and antenna, which send a signal to the GPS. The tracking device is capable of being placed in an offender’s bag, and the offender must remain within 100 feet of the receiver. After receiving the signal, a continuous report is sent to a computer that tracks the whereabouts of the offender. The GPS tracking device allows supervising officers to place location restrictions on the offenders so that certain places are off-limits. For example, sex offenders may be excluded from being within the vicinity of a schoolyard or church. If the offender enters a prohibited area, an alarm will sound. On the flip side, officers are allowed to program the offender’s schedule for work and religious services and regular day-to-day whereabouts so that it can be easier to detect and verify where and when the offender does what he or she is supposed to. In some cases, the system can send notifications via pager or telephone that the offender is near the victim or any other excluded location. The advantage of such a program is that the offender’s whereabouts are known in a more real-time manner. There are some disadvantages to the use of GPS tracking. GPS offender tracking devices, like other satellite devices, often lose their signal during bad weather or when in an area densely populated with trees. Another frequent drawback cited is the expense. Due to the extensive nature of the parties involved, GPS tracking is very expensive, and, in this day of drastic budget cutbacks in community corrections, many agencies are not willing to provide funding for such contemporary and often unnecessary devices. Some have suggested that a way to cut back on the operational costs of GPS devices is for an agency to request the offender’s whereabouts every 30 minutes or so as opposed to every minute. Others have suggested that GPS devices be reserved for the most serious offenders within the community, such as child molesters and rapists. Across the country, approximately 150,000 offenders are being supervised by electronic monitoring devices.