Dial-a-breathalyzer: Gadget monitors county inmates

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, June 6, 2007

EVERETT – A black box equipped with a bendable straw can detect the slightest amount of booze.

A one-way cell phone creates a record with pinpoint detail of a trip down the freeway.

An ankle bracelet tracks movement inside a house.

Snohomish County Corrections officers are using a collection of high-tech gadgets to monitor inmates allowed to serve a portion or all of their sentence at home.

The latest technology makes it possible to keep better track of offenders around the clock while giving them a chance to work, provide for their families and complete alcohol and drug treatment, Snohomish County Jail spokesman Jim Harms said.

“We know if they can keep their community ties, they’re more likely to make a more successful transition,” Harms said. “The ultimate goal is to not see them back here.”

Of the 1,200 inmates supervised by the county corrections department, only about 35 qualify for home detention. The program is designed for low-risk, nonviolent offenders, and usually a judge has ordered them considered for participation.

“If the offender has a pattern of violence, they are not eligible,” Harms said.

The cost is passed along to the offenders, who must rent the equipment and pay a fee for supervision.

The cost ranges from about $10 to $20 a day, but the fee can be waived if the person can’t afford it, Harms said.

The overall cost is comparable to housing the inmate in jail, but it does free up some space that can be rented out to other agencies, such as the state Department of Corrections, Harms said.

“We’re not doing it just to save a jail bed,” he said.

Corrections officers are using three high-tech devices to keep tabs on people in the program.

The technology detects when a person leaves home, tracks where they go and determines if they are drunk – all from miles away.

“They’re definitely deterrents. The accountability is so much greater,” said corrections Capt. Randy Finsen.

Prosecutors are encouraged that jail authorities are making use of new technology.

“If the offender qualifies, the office is supportive of it as an alternative to confinement,” Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Randy Yates said.

For about a year, the department has used the latest technology to monitor alcohol consumption for offenders who have a history of addiction or if their offense was alcohol-related.

Alcohol and drug abuse often are significant factors in criminal behavior, Harms said.

The device is a breathalyzer similar to those used by police. The black box is hooked up to a phone line in the inmate’s home. An alarm sounds when it is time to blow into the straw.

The device randomly tests the offender’s alcohol level and is sensitive enough to pick up alcohol in mouthwash.

In addition to testing for alcohol, the device snaps a real-time photograph of the offender. That helps make certain the inmate isn’t using a sober relative or friend to cheat the system.

The results are immediate and sent to the corrections officer by e-mail. An offender who fails the test is ordered to report to the jail.

Jail officials said they have caught stay-at-home inmates who tried to sneak a drink, but they don’t keep track of how many. Offenders who test positive for alcohol can be ordered to finish the rest of their sentence behind bars.

Anecdotally, corrections officers have heard from offenders who say the alcohol monitoring kept them on track.

“If we help one person, we’re making progress,” corrections officer Rick Carlson said.

In addition to the alcohol monitoring, the department is using technology to keep track of offenders while they are at home and on the road. For several years, the department has used radio frequency transmitters to make sure a person is at home.

The transmitters, fitted in ankle bracelets, are activated when the person goes out of range of a receiver in the house. Corrections officers are notified immediately if the person steps out of range of the receiver.

Some offenders are allowed to leave home and are equipped with a cell phone that tracks them through a Global Positioning System.

The device plots points on a map, indicating where the offender went, how long it took him to get there and what stops were made.

In some cases, correction officers can program the device so they are notified if an offender enters an area that is off limits.

“At any given moment we know where they are at,” Carlson said.

Advance technology is making it possible to vigilantly monitor offenders around the clock, corrections authorities said.

It also is giving offenders opportunities to transition from jail to living in the community, Harms said.

“It’s good supervision,” Finsen said. “I think any inmate will tell you it’s good supervision.”

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@ heraldnet.com.