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    House Arrest” & “Home Confinement” or In Home Detention as a Jail Alternative in Colorado

    By Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer for Sentencing Issues – H. Michael Steinberg

    Introduction – House arrest…sometimes referred to as home confinement, home detention, or electronic monitoring…is a type of alternative sentencing. “Alternative sentencing” provides a convicted defendant with alternatives to a jail or prison sentence.

    Experienced Colorado criminal defense attorney know how to present the most compelling arguments to possibly allow you to serve your sentence under house arrest / home confinement rather than in jail or prison.

    What is In Home Detention – House Arrest?

    Although house arrest can exclusively confine you to your residence, that isn’t always the case (and, in fact, it seldom is). When the judge places you on home confinement or detention, he/she orders you to abide by specific terms and conditions that restrict your freedom and mobility. After all, home confinement is still punishment…it’s simply more desirable than traditional incarceration.

    These terms and conditions may include:

    • curfew restrictions,
    • random drug testing, and/or
    • in-office face-to-face meetings or home visits with your probation or parole officer.　

    And…depending on the severity of your offense and your criminal record…the judge will probably allow you to:　

    • work or attend school,
    • travel to medical appointments,
    • attend and participate in counseling appointments, alcohol / drug classes, community service, etc.,
    • tend to family obligations, and
    • participate in any other court-approved activities, provided that you only travel to/from court-approved appointments/locations and are in your home when you are otherwise required to be there.　

    The judge just doesn’t offer house arrest. Home confinement…and, for that matter, any type of alternative sentencing…is a privilege which must be requested by a skilled criminal defense lawyer. And…in all honesty…most requests get denied. The attorney has to know how to convince the prosecutor and judge that his/her client is deserving of such an opportunity and that he/she will benefit from its imposition.

    It is important to understand that as the offender, you are generally responsible for paying any costs that are associated with regulating your house arrest sentence (although you will probably not be excluded from participating in home detention or confinement based exclusively on an inability to pay).

    How Do the Courts Monitor In Home Detention?

    House arrest is monitored via electronic monitoring. Electronic monitoring is administered in a number of ways, depending on the county in which you live. Some typical examples include (but are not limited to):

    Basic electronic transmission – Here, you will be fitted with an ankle transmitter and a home monitoring unit. The bracelet sends a 24-hour signal to the monitoring agency and accounts for any irregularities. “Irregularities” include tampering with the instrument, violating your curfew, or traveling outside your authorized radius. This type of system can be set up as long as you have a power outlet and access to a standard phone line or cellular service.

    Global Positioning System (GPS) – GPS is the most advanced of the home detention devices. It uses commercial cellular networks to transmit data 24-hours a day to the monitoring agency. GPS tracking allows the supervising agency to create specific inclusion and exclusion zones, mapping, and tracking. The agency knows your exact whereabouts at all times.

    Many courthouses throughout Colorado utilize this technology.

    The Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor (SCRAM) device – Judges only order the SCRAM device for the defendant who has been convicted of alcohol-related offenses (or who the judge believes may have an issue with alcohol). This alcohol bracelet continuously monitors alcohol concentration, not your whereabouts.

    And although we have discussed all of these monitoring systems in the context of alternative sentencing, they are also used to monitor and supervise individuals who are placed on parole following their release from the Colorado state prison.

    Violating the Terms of Your Home Detention

    When the monitoring agency receives an alert that you have violated the exact terms and conditions that were imposed in connection with your house arrest, it notifies your probation or parole officer. And Colorado probation laws allow your probation or parole officer to arrest you without relying on a Colorado arrest warrant.

    If…following a probation violation hearing…the judge believes that you have violated the terms of your home detention, he/she may revoke your house arrest and order you to serve the remainder of your sentence in jail or prison.

    This is simply another reason why having an experienced Colorado criminal defense attorney is critical. This type of lawyer knows the most persuasive arguments to convince a judge to allow you another opportunity to comply with home confinement before he/she imposes incarceration.

    Call us for help…

    H. Michael Steinberg has been a Colorado criminal law specialist attorney for 29 years. For the First 13 years of his career, he was an Arapahoe – Douglas County District Attorney Senior prosecutor. In 1999 he formed his own law firm for the defense of Colorado criminal cases. In addition to handling tens of thousands of cases in the trial courts of Colorado, he has written hundreds of articles regarding the practice of Colorado criminal law and frequently provides legal analysis on radio and television, appearing on the Fox News Channel, CNN and Various National and Local Newspapers and Radio Stations.  Please call him at your convenience at 720-220-2277


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    ___________________________
    H. Michael Steinberg Esq.
    Attorney and Counselor at Law
    The Colorado Criminal Defense Law Firm of H. Michael Steinberg
    A Denver, Colorado Lawyer Focused Exclusively On
    Colorado Criminal Law For Over 40 Years.
    The Edward Building
    8400 East Prentice Ave, Penthouse 1500
    Greenwood Village, Colorado, 80111
    E-Mail:  [email protected]
    Primary Web Site:  http://www.HMichaelSteinberg.com
    Colorado Criminal Law Blog:  www.Colorado-Criminal-Lawyer-Online.com
    Main:  303.627.7777
    Cell:  720.220.2277
    24/7 Pager:  303.543.4433
    FAX (Toll Free):  1.877.533.6276
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