Scott County Commission hears about electronic monitoring technology for criminals

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County commissioners are convinced electronic monitoring bracelets are the county's answer to the cost burden of boarding jail inmates.

Commissioners were presented with information on electronic monitoring bracelets offered by Securicor by Douglas A. White during Tuesday's County Commission meeting, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported.

White said Securicor now has offices in Bonne Terre, Mo. "We are now active in this area," he advised.

Electronic bracelets can help the county relieve jail overcrowding by placing offenders on house arrest, White said. While he has seen other similar devices, "from everything I've seen, this one has the most quality," he said.

While the county already has access to one type of electronic bracelet, "we want the cheapest and best for our situation," said Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger. "We're looking at all features and specs from all companies."

To illustrate how useful the voice communications feature his company's product has can be, White offered as an example a scenario in which a hypothetical sex offender walks toward a school.

First the offender would hear a warning from the person monitoring the electronic bracelet of the school's proximity and advising the offender to go somewhere else, White said.

If that offender keeps walking toward the school, the offender next hears from his probation officer advising he is breaking the terms of his probation.

And if the offender continues going after that call "it sets off a 90-decibel alarm and the local police come pick him up," White said.

The cost to use Securicor's bracelet system requires an initial purchase of a $190 installation kit.

The company then offers three levels of service.

The basic level costs $8.25 per day for each offender and requires county personnel to put the bracelet on, enter parameters into the system and monitor the offender.

For $9.75 per day, a Securicor representative will put the bracelet on and enter the parameters but county employees will have to monitor the prisoner.

If the county has at least 20 offenders using their product, the county is then eligible for the top tier which costs $11.50 per day. "For $11.50, we do everything," White said. This tier also includes an on-site counselor for offenders.

White said offenders' families will come up with the money it takes for the offender to pay for the cost of the electronic monitoring program.

"I guarantee they spend more than that on commissary," Burger said.

Burger advised White to present information on his company's product to Shawn Wood, office manager for the sheriff's department.

"I've been for it from the get-go," Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn said of electronic monitoring. "Have you guys ever thought of lobbying the (state) legislature to help pay for the fees?"

"I think it might be our salvation," Burger said. "I think it's something that we're definitely interested in."

According to commissioners, only one offender at the Scott County Jail has been approved for house arrest using the electronic monitoring so far.