Probation Of Offender

SHSU studies GPS monitoring of Arizona sex offenders

The use of GPS technology to monitor sex offenders should be viewed as a tool rather than a control mechanism, a team of researchers at Sam Houston State University found in a recent study.

In "Examining GPS Monitoring Alerts Triggered by Sex Offenders: The Divergence of Legislative Goals and Practical Applications in Community Corrections," Dr. Gaylene Armstrong and Beth Freeman examined the affects of a state law in Arizona that required the lifelong GPS monitoring of adult sex offenders convicted of dangerous crimes against children and placed on community supervision. The study monitored sex offenders in Maricopa County, AZ over a two-year period.

"A divergence between legislative goals and practical application of mandated GPS monitoring programs exists," said Dr. Armstrong, Research Director of the Correctional Management Institute of Texas at the College of Criminal Justice. "GPS technology is far more limited than anticipated and should be viewed as a tool rather than depended upon as a control mechanism."

The study found that a significant number of equipment-related alerts were triggered by a loss of a satellite signal, rather than offender violations. Those alerts resulted in a significant increase in the workload of probation officers.

"While it is expected that GPS technology provides the capability for near real-time tracking of an offender's location and movement in the community and that alerts would primarily indicate non-compliance with geographical and temporal restrictions, findings demonstrated that the responses to non-violation alerts consumed an inordinate amount of an agency's resources – resources that could be better directed to other case management activities," the study found.

A secondary impact is the possibility of complacency by probation officers because of an overload of non-violation alerts, which may result in a failure to act and liability for offender actions, the report concluded.

The cost effectiveness of GPS monitoring should be considered when setting budget for technology and vendors, especially considering the workload required to implement and maintain the system. If lifelong monitoring is mandated, the number of cases will continue to grow, the study said.

Community corrections supervisors estimate that 70 percent of alerts are false alarms and are usually related to technology issues. Steps should be taken to reduce the likelihood of unintentional alarms. Probation officers also should be trained on the use of the GPS system, and written rules and policies should be implemented, the report said.

Sex Offender Returned

(Wampsville, NY – Aug. 2011) Convicted sex offender Lawrence Austin, who fled the County’s jurisdiction in July 2009 has been tracked down and returned to Madison County to face charges.

Austin’s apprehension is attributed to the tireless efforts and dedication of Probation Department Supervisor Camille Vinci who worked closely with the U.S. Marshals to track Austin down.

Never giving up in her quest to locate this individual, two articles appeared in our local newspapers in 2009 and 2010 outlining his offenses and the need to educate the public about sex offenders.

On June 5, Austin was taken into custody by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office in Rockford, Ill., on a Madison County violation of probation. On June 15, he was arrested by U.S. Marshals and arraigned on a federal warrant charging him with a violation of Title 18, U.S.C. 2250(a), a violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Austin was returned to the Northern New York District Court.

Austin faces federal sex offender charges, felony violation of probation and an additional charge lodged by the Oneida Police Department for failure to register as a sex offender, a class E felony.

Prosecution will be handled by the Madison County District Attorney’s Office and federal prosecutors.

Austin is being held in the Madison County Jail.

On March 27, 2009, Austin was sentenced to six months’ incarceration and five years of probation upon conviction on a charge of first-degree sexual abuse. He was designated a Sex Offender Registrant Act (SORA) Level III-status offender by the court, the most likely to re-offend.

He absconded from Madison County in July 2009, shortly after he was released from jail, and left New York state. An immediate warrant was issued for his arrest and, since 2009, law enforcement authorities have been searching for him.

The Probation Department collaborates with the Madison County District Attorney’s Office to request permission to extradite probationers such as Austin and return them to New York once they are found.

Permission must be granted by the District Attorney and it is the recommendation of the Probation Department that we extradite everyone who absconds from his or her court sentences.

When the courts in this county sentence an offender to a probation term, they should not consider such sentence lightly. If an offender does not cooperate with the conditions of probation, they will be returned to the sentencing court with a potential request for an incarceration sentence.

Dictionary of Probation and Offender Management

American Corrections

The American System of Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice in Action, The Core

Introduction to Criminal Justice