Santiago Justo
August 1, 2013
ADC-150
Unit 4 Essay
Alcohol Monitoring Systems legislation
In North Carolina, some lawmakers would prefer it if more defendants wore alcohol monitoring bracelets as opposed to jail uniforms.
Introduced as House Bill 494, this legislation would allow offenders to be fitted with an (L.A. Williams, 2011) (L.A. Williams, 2011)alcohol monitoring device to alleviate prison and jail overcrowding and costs associated with housing inmates. “The measure would also help those in the field to direct defendants towards treatment” according to Rep. David Guice. (R-Henderson)
The current statutes only allow judges to issue orders for monitoring for a maximum of 60 days. House Bill 494 would remove that limit so that level one DWI cases would receive monitoring continuously for up to 120 days. The installation of such devices would cost offenders around $75 and monitoring would be roughly $12/day. “Twelve dollars is about the cost of four beers, so you can put it in that light,” said Rep. John Faircloth (R-Guilford).
With the cost of incarceration around $28,000 per person, I believe that alleviating an already overcrowded prison and jail system would also allow the courts to rehabilitate offenders through more effective methods such as treatment for these offenders.
Even though the monitoring device cannot prevent offenders from taking a drink, it does allow the authorities to take the proper action once they are alerted. Keeping the streets a much safer place benefits us all and can also save lives in the process. I support this legislation and applaud our lawmakers for their efforts in getting this bill passed.
Works Cited
L.A. Williams, C. (2011, May 26). Legislation Expands the Use of Alcohol Monitoring Systems for Offenders. Retrieved August 1, 2013, from www.christianactionleague.org: http://christianactionleague.org/news/legislation-expands-the-use-of-alcohol-monitoring-systems-for-offenders/