Community Health Services has partnered with BI Incorporated, Boulder, Colorado, and other leading providers of Electronic Monitoring systems, to provide the criminal justice community with the most state-of-the-art electronic tools to supervise offenders living in our communities. Increased demand for the management of clients diverted or transitioning from jail or prison has resulted in the need for specialized programs for the monitoring of these caseloads. Electronic monitoring (EM) and Home Detention means much more than curfew monitoring. These programs help reduce recidivism, serve as adjuncts to professional supervision, and enhance public safety.

The EM System provides a means of electronically monitoring the presence or absence of a person at a specified location and is commonly used for "house arrest" programs. The equipment uses a uniquely coded, continuous-signaling radio frequency based transmitter and receiver/monitor to communicate with the host computer system when an enrolled offender movement event occurs. Community Health Services also provides GPS monitoring for those offenders who require a higher level of supervision. Electronic monitoring is indicated for supervision of domestic violence, substance abuse, and sex offenders. Community Health Services is a 'full service' provider of EM supervision. Our service professionals enroll referred offenders, enter approved schedules in the host monitoring computer, collect service fees, monitor compliance, and report progress to appropriate referral authority according to conditions set by that authority.

Community Health Services utilizes BI's full-service monitoring center that encompasses 24-7 support and data reporting vital to the safety of the community it serves. BI's GuardCenter monitoring center is a state-of-the-art facility staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including all holidays, by trained and certified GuardCenter Specialists. Community Health Services' EM officer receives monitoring reports daily from the monitoring center thereby tracking and reporting compliance of the offender. Key events can be reported to the Community Health Services' officer on-call at predetermined intervals via email, telephone/text or FAX in accordance with the notification procedures contractually defined.

Community Health Services will provide daily activity reports of clients' movement and monitor check-ins within the past 24 hours with its custom report capability. Reports will be provided that include: client name, address, phone number, monitoring unit identification, start date, as well as all case activity (exits, enters, tampers, violations, and provider contacts) on a 24-7-365 basis.

The BI HomeGuard 200 Transmitter (ankle bracelet) is sealed, shock resistant, and water resistant to a depth of 15 feet. BI's Transmitter is secure, easy to install, and poses no health hazard to the offender. The Transmitters and Receivers are designed to operate at a wide range of temperatures (0°C to 50°C) and will function reliably under the normal atmospheric and household conditions experienced year-round in the State of Arizona.

The GPS equipment used by Community Health Services is a robust, single-unit design featuring exceptionally long battery life. This state-of-the-art equipment can be configured to work in concert with victim notification in appropriate cases. Costs for GPS systems are now comparable with conventional RF-style, place-in-time monitoring hardware.

Electronic Monitoring (EM) technology has created new alternatives for the criminal justice field. Between the extremes of incarceration and total freedom, one of the most effective supervision tools is electronic monitoring. EM can be an effective alternative sanction and supervision tool while offering substantial cost savings over more traditional sanctions.

Today, advanced technology bridges the supervision gap between unrestricted freedom and expensive incarceration for an offender. Sentencing of offenders or pre-trial defendants to home arrest, allows them to leave only for pre-approved activities during specific hours of the day, all verified by an electronic monitoring system.

Offenders on EM can remain employed, support their families and pay taxes. It reduces the family reliance on public assistance, keeps prison and jail beds for more violent offenders, improves assurance of appearance at trial, allows parents to more closely monitor juvenile activity, and helps keep offenders off the streets at night.

Electronic Monitoring:

Restricts Undesirable Behavior

Supports Treatment Programs

Increases Public Safety

Reduces the Cost of Supervision