Imagine being stuck at home for days, weeks, months, or even years only able to leave when someone else says it is allowed: the only places to escape home would be school or work. Picture a life where the only phone calls and visits to home where from surveillance officers. These are only some of the aspects of a punishment, known as house arrest, for those convicted of a crime. With house arrest becoming more popular it raises questions regarding whether or not it is an overall good idea. House arrest along with electronic monitoring is worth it and can be a beneficial alternative to prison. House arrest was not an option even a few decades ago; once anyone was found guilty, they spent their sentences in a jail cell. Today this is used more …show more content…
Schenwar told the story of Marissa Alexander who was a victim of domestic violence and went to jail because of firing a warning shot of self-defense. The media made it sound like she would be free after her jail time but she was coming home to house arrest. People in these situations have to stick to a strict schedule and it takes the comfort and privacy out of your home. The devices that come along with the arrest can quickly become expensive and make it harder to find a job. Because of the price, not everyone may be able to afford it so this may not even be an option for some. Even wearing them at all times may not result in accurate readings; devices may signal false positives and say offenders were out of range all because of improper charging (Development Services Group, Inc). Something similar happened in another situation: there were monitoring devices on two people on parole and they allegedly raped and killed two women and these devices never sent signals (Siegel and