Home Confinement and Monitoring Programs

Q: What is home confinement in the federal prison system?

Home confinement, also known as home detention or house arrest, is a form of supervised release that allows individuals to serve a portion of their sentence or await trial in their residence rather than in a correctional facility. It is administered by the Bureau of Prisons and supervised by United States Probation and Pretrial Services.

Q: What are the different types of home confinement?

There are three types of home confinement: Curfew (least restrictive, requires being at residence during specified hours), Home Detention (more restrictive, requires remaining at residence except for pre-approved activities like employment, education, medical appointments, religious services, and attorney meetings), and Home Incarceration (most restrictive, confines individual to residence 24 hours a day with only limited exceptions for medical emergencies or court appearances).

Q: What is electronic monitoring and how does it work?

Electronic monitoring uses devices to track and verify an individual's location. GPS ankle monitors track location continuously and alert authorities if the wearer leaves approved areas. Radio frequency monitors verify presence at home using a transmitter worn on the ankle and a receiver unit installed in the residence. Remote alcohol monitoring devices like SCRAM may also be required for individuals with alcohol-related offenses.

Q: Who is eligible for federal home confinement?

Eligibility typically requires low security risk classification, stable residence with telephone service, consent of other household members, employment or demonstrated means of support, no history of violence or escape, and medical stability. Certain offenses may preclude eligibility, including sex offenses, crimes involving victims in the household, firearms offenses, and history of violence.

Q: What are the conditions and requirements of home confinement?

Individuals on home confinement must remain at the approved residence except for authorized absences, submit to electronic monitoring, allow unannounced home visits by supervising officers, maintain employment or participate in approved programming, submit to drug testing, pay program fees if financially able, avoid alcohol and controlled substances, and not possess firearms or weapons.

Q: What happens if someone violates home confinement conditions?

Violations may result in increased restrictions, return to incarceration, additional criminal charges, or extension of supervision period. Common violations include tampering with monitoring equipment, leaving the residence without authorization, positive drug or alcohol tests, failure to maintain employment, and contact with prohibited persons.

Home confinement, also known as home detention or house arrest, is a form of supervised release that allows individuals to serve a portion of their sentence or await trial in their residence rather than in a correctional facility. In the federal system, home confinement is administered by the Bureau of Prisons and supervised by United States Probation and Pretrial Services.

Overview

Home confinement serves as an intermediate sanction between incarceration and traditional supervised release. It provides a cost-effective alternative to imprisonment while maintaining public safety through electronic monitoring and regular check-ins with supervising officers.

The Bureau of Prisons may place eligible inmates in home confinement for the lesser of 10 percent of their sentence or six months. However, the First Step Act of 2018 expanded home confinement eligibility, allowing certain inmates to serve more of their sentence in home detention.

Types of Home Confinement

Curfew

The least restrictive form requires the individual to be at their residence during specified hours, typically overnight. Employment and approved activities are permitted during other hours.

Home Detention

More restrictive than curfew, home detention requires the individual to remain at their residence at all times except for pre-approved activities such as:

Employment
Education
Medical appointments
Religious services
Attorney meetings

Home Incarceration

The most restrictive level confines the individual to their residence 24 hours a day, with only limited exceptions for medical emergencies or court appearances.

Electronic Monitoring

Most home confinement programs include electronic monitoring using:

GPS Ankle Monitors

Global Positioning System devices track the wearer's location continuously. These devices:

Record movement patterns
Alert authorities if the wearer leaves approved areas
Maintain a detailed log of locations visited

Radio Frequency Monitors

These devices use a transmitter worn on the ankle and a receiver unit installed in the residence. They verify the wearer's presence at home but do not track location outside the residence.

Remote Alcohol Monitoring

For individuals with alcohol-related offenses, devices like SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) may be required. These devices test perspiration for alcohol content.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility for federal home confinement typically requires:

Low security risk classification
Stable residence with telephone service
Consent of other household members
Employment or demonstrated means of support
No history of violence or escape
Medical stability

Certain offenses may preclude eligibility, including:

Sex offenses
Crimes involving victims in the household
Firearms offenses
History of violence

Conditions and Requirements

Individuals on home confinement must typically:

Remain at the approved residence except for authorized absences
Submit to electronic monitoring
Allow home visits by supervising officers without prior notice
Maintain employment or participate in approved programming
Submit to drug testing
Pay program fees (if financially able)
Avoid alcohol and controlled substances
Not possess firearms or weapons

Violations

Violations of home confinement conditions may result in:

Increased restrictions
Return to incarceration
Additional criminal charges
Extension of supervision period

Common violations include:

Tampering with monitoring equipment
Leaving the residence without authorization
Positive drug or alcohol tests
Failure to maintain employment
Contact with prohibited persons

COVID-19 Expansion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Prisons significantly expanded the use of home confinement under the CARES Act. Thousands of federal inmates were transferred to home confinement to reduce prison populations and limit virus spread. Many of these transfers have since been made permanent following legal challenges and policy revisions.

Costs and Fees

Participants in home confinement programs may be required to pay:

Daily supervision fees
Electronic monitoring equipment costs
Drug testing fees

Fee waivers or reductions are available for those who demonstrate financial hardship.

Transition to Community

Home confinement often serves as a transition from incarceration to full community release. It may be combined with placement in a Residential Reentry Center or followed by a period of Supervised Release.

References