Antonovich proposed the audit as the county's Probation Department sought to renew a contract with Sentinel Offender Services, LLC.
County Supervisor Mike Antonovich called Tuesday for an audit of contracts for electronic monitoring devices, which he said fail to keep law-abiding citizens safe from criminals.
Antonovich proposed the audit as the county's Probation Department sought to renew a contract with Sentinel Offender Services, LLC.
"Despite inherent weaknesses with electronic monitoring, it is imperative that the county ensure that the contractor's equipment and monitoring services meet our standards and expectations," Antonovich said.
The private company monitors electronic ankle bracelets and other devices designed to track criminal offenders or probationers. Jail overcrowding and pressure to release inmates before they serve their full sentence has encouraged the use of such technology.
Antonovich said he's not a proponent.
"It's not an effective deterrent to crime," he said. "And it does provide a false sense of security to our community. Offenders often tamper with and disengage these devices and face only minor consequences."
He pointed to reports of sex offenders removing required GPS devices.
Recent state law sets a mandatory six-month jail sentence for sex offenders who violate their parole by tampering with devices and dictates that the entire six months be served in county jail, with no early release.
Antonovich voted with the rest of the board to extend Sentinel's contract, set to expire Nov. 30, but only for one year. Future options to renew must come back to the board for approval.
The board supported his call for monthly compliance reports and a report back in 90 days.
By City News Service
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