Scott County Commission hears more information on potential jail release program

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County is getting closer to implementing an active GPS monitoring program for low-risk prisoners.

On Thursday, members of the Law Enforcement Restitution Board, as well as representatives who would be impacted by such a program, met to hear more about the SecureAlert system. Danita Keen, administrator for the sheriff's department, set up a conference call with company representatives after doing research into several programs.

"I came across SecureAlert because they are using it in Harrison County, Mo.," said Keen. The rural county in the northern portion of the state has used it about two years and not had any complaints thus far, said Keen.

SecureAlert is an ankle bracelet monitoring system that would be used for certain low-risk prisoners to monitor their activities. The county is looking into the service to cut its jail population, which has overflowed into other facilities recently.

Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger estimated the county will spend $60,000 this year to house inmates in other facilities. Other costs will be incurred in prisoner transport.

"We don't want to let them out of jail just to let them out of jail," he said. "But we are drowning in prisoner costs."

Jason Bell, a sales representative for SecureAlert, explained the system and features in a conference call.

"We can do home confinement and set up certain inclusion and exclusion areas," said Bell. The company is the manufacturer and offers monitoring services.

System features include voice communication technology - which can be two- or three-way. The system is cellular based and uses cell phone signals, and the device is tamper resistant and waterproof. Its battery life is 27 hours, requiring two hours of charge per day. There is also a 90 decibel siren that alerts the public an offender has violated parameters, Bell explained.

He continued that the system is completely customized per offender and there can be time restraints - such as for hours to be at work and at home, a curfew, and exclusion zones, in which the voice alert will tell an offender he or she has stepped into a prohibited zone.

Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd asked how many zones could be entered per device. Bell said in some cases, more than 100 have been entered - such as for sex offenders prohibited from going to parks, schools or other areas.

Since the alert system is dependent on cell phone towers, Bell admitted there could be issues in "dead zones." However, only a 3 percent signal is required - as compared to 14 percent for cell phones. He suggested that if the county choose to implement the system, a deputy or two drive the county so the signal can be checked to determine if there are any areas in which it should not be used.

"Alerts are sent out every five minutes," said Bell. However, if an offender steps into an excluded zone, that alert will be sent immediately. If in a dead zone, the information is saved.

All communication and information is recorded, and can be shared with the county in several ways. It is admissible in court - and company representatives said they would be able to testify with the evidence if necessary.

Three levels of service are available - a basic service which would be $8.75 per day in which the sheriff's department would install and uninstall the device and manage the protocol; enhanced service which is $10 per day and the sheriff's department would install and uninstall, while the service provider entered all protocol; and the full service, in which the service provider fully provides all services, for a cost of $21 per day. The full service plan is not currently available. All plans include insurance for each device, which includes a $50 deductible.

No software is needed to run the tracking system, said Bell. There is no start up cost. If a bracelet is needed, it will be shipped overnight, or the county can store them, unused, for $2 daily.

Officials are unsure how many people would qualify for the bracelet program - for instance, violent offenders would not, nor would those who manufactured drugs in their home. Looking through a list of current inmates, Associate Circuit Judge Scott Horman said only five of the 50 in his jurisdiction may apply.

Horman said he plans to talk to judges in Harrison County to see how they choose who qualifies for the program.

It was also questioned whether the county or the offender would be responsible for the cost. Keen said she would research other areas that have used the program to see what protocol they used.

Even if the county assumes the cost, it would likely be a savings. It costs $35 daily to house prisoners. There is also a chance that the ankle bracelet fee would qualify for reimbursement from the state if the offender is found guilty. Housing is reimbursed, but not fully.

"This won't drastically decrease our population," said Horman. "But if it is available at no upfront cost, we may as well keep it as an option."

With no opposition to the plan, those involved agreed to look into the program more in depth before making a final decision.