How to Remove a House Arrest Bracelet
How to remove house arrest bracelet in just a few easy steps.
If you want to remove a house arrest bracelet then there are a few things to consider first. Removing it is an offense that breaks your parole and will easily put you back in prison. Things gotta be pretty desperate if you’re reading this and need to remove that anklet. So here’s a few questions I ask a guy I know who’s currently doing 90 days (as of writing this):
Here’s a Q and A on house arrest bracelets
Q: What is House Arrest?
A: House Arrest limits an offender’s movement within the community through electronic monitoring. House Arrest encompasses a philosophy of home detention, and strict accountability for any movement of the offender within the community, as approved by the Court or House Arrest office. House Arrest is used in lieu of incarceration in a State prison or County jail.
Q: Have you ever taken your house arrest anklet off? and how?
A: haha Well since you’re not using my name here, I have been able to remove it to go swimming. I was told by my P.O. not to get it wet. I believed him but he’s a dick anyways and is probably lying to me. So what I did was slide under it a steel rod about 2 feet long. Then I twisted it until the rivets or button things popped off. I totally panicked when I saw that but at least it was off. I then had someone goto a tailor and get the same kind of leather rivets and reinserted them.
Q: Who can be on House Arrest?
A: Any individual who is either pre or post conviction may be supervised by electronic monitoring, through legal assignment of a Court or Probation / Parole Officer. Cases supervised include offenders from the District Court, various municipalities, as a condition of bond, per the written directive of a Probation or Parole Officer, and via the Conditional Release program of the Johnson County Residential Center.
Q: How long does House Arrest last?
A: The length of House Arrest supervision is determined by the sentencing Court or entity. Sentences range from one day to an indefinite period. Typical terms of House Arrest supervision range from 30 to 90 days in length.
Q: What equipment is used to electronically monitor an offender?
Monitoring Equipment A: House Arrest utilizes electronic monitoring equipment (see image on right), installed in an offender’s residence, to verify each offender’s compliance. This equipment is used via phone lines, and serves several functions. Random computer generated phone calls to the offender’s residence provides the House Arrest department with a photographic response, a voice response, and a breath sample to ensure the offender is not using / abusing alcohol. The photographic response is recorded, verifying the offender is in their residence, as scheduled.
Q: Do offenders have equipment strapped to their body?
A: In some circumstances offenders are required to wear a tamper proof ankle bracelet, which electronically communicates with their home monitoring unit. This ankle bracelet notifies House Arrest any time the offender exits without authorization, and continuously confirms the offender’s presence within the residence. Ankle bracelets are utilized to strictly reduce offender movement, in conjunction with the photographic, voice, and breath response.
Q: What activities are offenders on House Arrest allowed to do?
A: Dependant upon Court orders, some offenders are strictly restricted to their residence, while others are allowed to maintain employment and approved activities. These activities would include educational programming, probation and parole meetings, drug testing, substance abuse and mental health treatment, and religious services. All movement must be scheduled and approved in advance, by the assigned House Arrest Officer.
Q: How is schedule compliance verified?
A: Each offender must meet weekly with their assigned House Arrest Officer to create a written schedule of movement for the week. Upon each weekly meeting, the offender must provide proof of their compliance via pay stubs, work schedules, receipts, verification cards, etc. House Arrest Officers maintain a high level of contact with offender employers and treatment providers to verify compliance, and complete random community compliance checks on each offender, at their residence or place of employment.
Q: What happens when someone violates his or her House Arrest?
A: When an offender can not be located, a four-hour non-compliance procedure is initiated. During this four-hour period many steps are taken to locate the offender, including a residence check by local law enforcement, manual calls to the offender’s residence and employment, and contact of the offenders listed emergency contact. If the client can not be located that offender is declared Absent Without Leave (AWOL). In all District Court cases, a warrant request is immediately completed, and filed with the Sheriff’s Department. With Municipal and Parole offenders, the referring Municipality or Parole Officer is notified immediately, and those individual entities initiate their revocation proceedings When violations occur and the offender’s whereabouts are known, a wide variety of sanctions can be imposed, up to and including the arrest and detention of the offender.
Q: Are offenders under House Arrest supervision tested for drug use?
A: Yes I have. Each offender receives a breath analysis each time the monitoring equipment contacts them at their residence. Each offender is also required to submit to frequent and random urinalyses testing, to ensure they are maintaining a drug free lifestyle. Drug testing is increased in cases of noncompliance, upon behavioral concerns, or when reasonable belief exists that the offender is possible using illegal drugs.
Q: What does House Arrest cost?
A: The cost of House Arrest supervision is incurred by the offender. Each offender is required to pay a daily monitoring fee of $12. Increase fees apply for individuals living outside the local calling area. Each offender is also required to pay for frequent random drug testing.
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Comments
Has anyone ever failed initial drug test for weed? What if i have a doctors rec?
my breathalyzer goes off 4 times a day. approx. 7am, 10am, 9pm, 10pm. i guess ur not even supposed to use listerene or liquid medicine, its that sensative. but i dont even drink anyways so it could go off 10 times a day wouldnt matter. sorry i wouldnt know how to get around it.
Karen please help me! You seem to know about HA procedure in Orange County & _ havn’t a clue about any of it! I find out this Mon 11-14, if I can go on HA. Could you please tell me what happens after? Like literally after the judge says yes or no, do they take me into custody? I’m a nervouse wreck, because I have no idea what to expect! I also suffer from terninal cancer, so being on HA & not in OCJ is especially important. Also because they don’t & won’t give me my cancer meds while in there! When I was arrested I wasn’t bailed out quick enough, so after getting out after 24hrs, I fell into a 3 day coma! So ANY info you can provide will be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!
Hi guys,
I’m not on HA and never have been. I just stumbled across this site while doing a random Google search on the subject (gotta love ADHD lol). I had no idea that house arrest monitoring has been completely privatized in CA (I’m from WA and no idea what it is here). Sounds very disorganized and unfair, especially since I’m guessing most of you were just busted for having weed because we still haven’t ended Prohibition yet.
Anyway, any of you who wouldn’t feel embarrassed to do so, I would encourage you to speak out about how ridiculous this current system is (after your HA of course so they can’t retaliate agianst you). I think the problem is that most people don’t know just how bad this system is until they find themselves caught-up in it over some stupid minor offense because an idiot politician somewhere wanted to prove he was tough on crime.
If more people in the general public knew about these kinds of experiences, and that most of you are just normal, everyday people (i.e. not murderers and rapists, I assume ;p), then maybe that could lead to better public attitudes on the subject and ultimately less draconian laws on the books.
Also, if any of you would indulge me, I’m curious: Have your attitudes on the criminal justice system changed since before you first found yourself on this end of it? I.e. did you once subscribe to the common “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time” mindset, only to now see that it’s a lot less black & white than that? Please forgive me if this question is inappropriate; I just thought a little philosophical discussion might be a welcome distraction for some of you suffering from what I can only imagine to be chronic boredom. =)
Well anyway, that’s my 3.5 cents (damn inflation!).
–Kris
Hi Kris we certainly need more and more of these sites I too am on House Arrest Now for a shockingly long 8 Months I think the real pain has started to set in and depression this is not how to lead anyone’s life as they have so much power over you the correctional offices i mean. I was playing around with my bracelet again tonight and unfortuantly they got an alert that i was tampering with it. I think also that whilst some people here have commented that they have home comforts like their own tv there is nothing comforting about been locked up at home most of the time. Even when i do get out in the daytime it’s still not enough. I want to go see the world but am afraid it don’t want me. It’s really hard to deal with becuase this feels so much like jail as in jail you feel isolated and also in Jail correctional officers that come and see you don’t really count to me as people. They most likely want to see me screw up. I think the good news with you is at least you knew how long you’ve gotta to do. I do not know. Also been a prisoner in your own home has another disadvantage and that is that whenever you go outside you might feel ashamed if someone sees that your wearing the bracelet. Almost every day in the last 8 months i’ve thought about what my life could of been like had this shit never happened. I’m also a very good and kind hearted person who just screwed up and now thought as a criminal to most It’s the worst thing to sit here and not know how long it’s going to go on for. I could if i were in your situation be counting down the days but at least at the moment i’ve now put in another application to get off HD Been a young guy 24 it’s not easy i even told my corrections officers who are really more just like cops. actually cutting off the bracelet and staying at home is not considered to be all that serious here in australia where i’m doing my sentance. It’s more if you were to go on holidays and not tell anyone then that could be really bad and courts usually won’t show you any mercy. I found out that when you do go out usually with permission they don’t usally know where you’ve gone but there’s always a chance i guess. The reality of this situation now is it’s not really much better than jail It’s kind of like when someone asks you how you want the good news or the bad news it’s always the bad. However on a good note we don’t have to pay any incaceration fees here. As someone else on here was saying it’s really just about some stupid politician trying to win an election we have this dickhead here who’s just ritered luckily who made the point “lock em all up” so basically he never cared if there were good people in the criminal system and having read through the comments i truly do believe there are good people. There’s one other little problem that i guess you would probably feel as would alot of the other comments on the site is Do you really care i mean deep down if you go back to jail. Actually with me probably not as i’ve got alot of good connections with people in jail and better friends there too for support. Can i ask on here who lives by themselves and is on house arrest. The truth be told as in some sites that i’ve been reading over the last couple of days is Only freedom can set you free Reality can’t only you in yourself can work on the problem and get a soloution. I praise everyone on here for their hounsesy in such a difficult situation and for most of you as i’ve read it’s still not over. I’d like to chat maybe to you on facebook My Name’s harry Webb so look out for me there.
Hello folks, a little update for you. It’s been 5.5 mos since my last post (when I was at 3 mos). I now have 2 weeks left of a 268 day sentence. It’s been a long 9 months but I still have to say it beats prison any day. I feel like I’ve learned this system very well so I’ll try to address any questions or concerns I saw. My disclaimer: This info may only be correct for Sentinel in Orange County, and your case may be different. I’m not telling you how it is, just how it was for me. Use caution, be smart and good luck.
-When you start with Sentinel be prepared for lengthy office visits.They are very disorganized, under-staffed and over-criminialed. On a 9mos sentence I’ve had to go in for my “check-ups” every 3 weeks. I was never taken at my scheduled time and I don’t think I ever left in less than 60 minutes.
-When you start you will be given a breath alcohol test and a urine drug test. To the person who asked if you can drink the day before, I’d guess if it’s not on your breath when you enroll you’re good. I got surprised with a week early appt, had to get the band on and where it for almost a week before my sentencing date even started so be careful.
-The staff will practically try to scare you straight every time you show up, whether you’re obeying the rules or not it seems. At the beginning, I didn’t do anything wrong for a while and they accused me of constantly going outside, removing the band…etc. This happened a few check-ups in a row, then they said my equipment was faulty, replaced it and I didn’t have a single problem after. I was accused of going outside several times that I was sitting right by the monitor. It had major problems.
-They say you can’t go outside, mine even said you can’t go to the door..to the window. The ankle band communicates with the base via RF. Do yourself a favor and sketch a floor plan of your house. At the very least the outside dimensions. I took that and drew a radius of 50′ and 75′ from the base. I learned where this invisible radius was and I found if I never went past about 60′ I didn’t get questioned once. Obviously, a lot of factors could affect this but I’m telling you what worked for me. The only thing the system knows is if you leave the range of the machine. It doesn’t know what room you’re in, what you’re doing, what you’re wearing..haha. It only knows if you break the communication between the two. My monitor was at one side of the house and our house is a rectangle. If you picture a circular radius from one side of the house you can see I was perfectly in range to be in the front/back yard within that circle. Use your own judgement and take chances at your own risk. If you have a long sentence as I do, and you have time to learn the length of your leash, my best tip would be deny everything. If you barely left the range and they say you keep leaving, deny it and don’t go that far any more. Get it? FTR, I spend the majority of this last summer in my backyard tanning and floating on a raft in the pool. Went in the spa many nights, the monitor got very wet but I never held it under water for extended periods to test the water resistance.
-About work. They told me you go to work and you stay there. No leaving. Another scare tactic. They’ve told me they pull “tracks” to see where you’ve been. I found out that isn’t actually correct. They can actually pull up your whereabouts if they question what you’re doing but if it appears you’re following the rules they don’t look. Once I figured this out I would leave work for lunch whenever I wanted and go wherever I wanted.
-You’re supposed to go straight to and from allowed places. Kinda true. Mine was a GPS unit so they could tell if I didn’t go where I said I did, and I had to have a sheet signed every time I went anywhere. They did actually check every single line of my attendance sheets. I gotta say, although I cheated at home, my sheets where legit. They were impressed by how good I kept track on every visit. Do yourself a favor and keep good paperwork, it will save you a lot of headaches and questioning on your check-ins.
-About cheating the breathalyzer. Why on Earth would you want to? Obviously we’ve made some bad decisions and are now paying the price. Why not kick the alcohol to the curb instead of making another bad decision. I haven’t had any alcohol since Feb and I had a major problem drinking almost every single day before HA. I dropped it easily and don’t regret it. If you decide to continue drinking and attempt to beat the monitor…good luck
Oh ya, I used a baby monitor for the first 7 months so I could hear the alarm from outside or other rooms. If anybody wants it and is local to 951, post a message and you can come have it. It works perfectly except the ac adapter for the listening side got eaten by a pet so you have to use batteries.
hi, i got my case trasfered from central cali to los angeles (only home arrest/dui classes/meetings.
i applied for my trasfer 1 day before deadline to turn myself in. sitting there with probation officer (its informal) and once he completed paper work for transfer, he said i have unitl dec. 29 to go get my home arrest sign up in l.a. i am an independent contractor in the entertainment industry. will they be checking up on me popping up at the location of work? or as long as i keep everything in check with paper work and schedule will they leave me alone? again i am on informal probation.
also with placing monitor in middle of my home (washer/dryer is in back of house, kitchen is in middle of house and my room is front of house), do i need to measure from the monitor to one end of house to other with measuring tape? i really do not want them to be on me for going outside when im not. last thing i want to do is draw attention to myself. prefer to stay and remain on the downlow.
most of you guys are retarded. they do come to your house and check you and if you violate you go to jail, then the fun part of waiting for a home incarceration revocation hearing where you could either have to serve the remainder of the sentence or you could get back out. Im currently on house arrest for a year and im 7 mths in it. This is also my 4th time being on it too. The fee is 10 dollars a day or if your working and making more than $10/hr theyll charge you what your hourly wage is. If anyone has question and they need to know for real then hit me up. Leeshroyer@rocketmail.com
first, hello to all. ive read most of these posts and i have to say wow. im on house arrest in indiana. and we do things way different from how its done in cali.
first of all its done by a group called community corrections instead of sentinel or however you spell it.and the rules are a little different. i was put on house arrest for my 2nd dui. they come and check my house 1-1-3 basis. basically once a week once a week 3 weeks later then repeat. i am not hooked up to any breathalizer and the only time i have taken one was during one of the times they came here. i would be so pissed if i had to do that like 3 times a day also they have only drug tested me once. and when they did they found ketamine in my system ive never done any other drug besides tobacco caffiene and alc.. so i demanded another to be done and they found not one drug in my system sometimes i think theyre out to get me.
another thing that is different is that im not allowed any friends over at all only blood relatives unless you are engaged or married and even if they are they have to have their background checked. also i have to check in every wednesday and pay 2 weeks in advance 10 dollars a day another thing that bugs me is that at anytime they are over and there is a person there weather it be an electrician or anyone else if they are a felon currently on probation or has an open case i get in trouble… i almost went to jail because they came when a fed ex worker was here they did a check on his name and saw that they had an open case they told me that this was my second strike and one more im going to prison for 18 months.
also i think one of the ladies that checks the house has a thing for me she came during thanksgiving which was only a few days ago and she just wanted to hang out and see what i was doing… shes was not even on work hours and also she comes around everytime my fiance is gone she also calls and hangs up and i know its her number because ive called it before blocked and i know her voice shes been here at least 7 times by herself and not once was my future wife home but out getting groceries or working or anything else..she once offered to give me a massage around my ankle if i was in any pain from it being too tight…im not fucking joking.
honestly im scared i have 3 months down 3 more to go but its so hard.i dont want to upset my fiance or the worker because the consequences from both are horrible
Dam man it sounds pretty strict where yr from!
Out here in Cali Sentinel pretty much owns the state so the whole state uses them for Home Detention.
They’re really unorganized here n really understaffed so u can get away with pretty much anything lol
I’ve been on this shit for almost a year n never got visited once by anyone whether it be my case manager or either one of my PO’s (I have 2 diff PO’s, and am on Formal Prob.)
I think the trick is to make urself look asinnocent as possible (make it believable tho) and they’ll leave u alone.
As far as ur the lady hitting on u, I believe it man! My case manager is really cool she gave me her number n even invited me to go out clubbing with her n she wouldn’t say anything haha she’s pretty cute n theway she texts n talks to me says it all. Basically what I’ve learned tho is if u keep in good terms with her you can get away with more! There’s been times wen I went out late at night n she looked the other way wen it came time for my check in. Try n milk it as much as u can man! Lol
Hey everyone it’s been a little under 8 months since I last posted. N I gotta say I’m in a better place now then I was then!
I’ve noticed alot of new ppl finding this site n I still remember when I first found it I was just a few days into my sentence n it made me feel great to know I wasn’t alone.
I’m currently 11 months into a 12 month sentence I get off in January!
I’ve gotten to know sentinel very well over these months I’m willing to answer anybody’s questions or even Tlk if there’s anyone out there who needs to keep busy (Rule#1:always stay busy)
I will be checking this site regularly from now til the day I get released as well as after. I know it’s gonna feel so weird to adjust to the new life I’ll have after I’m released but I’m excited to say the least!
Anyway if you have any questions I’ll b happy to help!
If any of you got Facebook add me (Eric Guerra, Reedley CA) it’d b cool to keep in touch with everyone on there as well.
To all you just starting. Keep ur head up n stay strong, Ill admit I’ve had sum really dark days while on HA but patience is key. Just think of the feeling youll have the day u get released. I know that helped me n now I’m only about a month away
Hope this helps guys n hope to Tlk to you all soon
-Superman5150
Hi Superman 5150. I tried adding you on FB but I couldn’t find you! Can you provide your e mail address?
Hiya Superman5150,
This site has been helpful and has put my mind at a bit of ease. Lots of information here. I too as with sentinel however in GA. I’m on day 24 of a 60 (not much of anything). I don’t even want to think about the range or all the other stuff involved. I just want it done an over with. I did try to look up your facebook but not able to locate it, so not sure what else you could provide so I can locate ya. I’m glad you’re doing good.
Giz
WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS…..IS THE BAND AROUND MY LEG (FULLY) WIRELESSLY CONNECTED?
I saw this youtube video about removal of the ankle monitor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k34mcAY5NTU
Hi everyone, it was really helpful reading your comments. I’m on Sentinel based out of Santa Ana like a lot of you, and i’m 60 days into a 90 day sentence.
The first two office visits went horribly, they accused me of going outside when I was inside the whole time. I’ve stepped out the door for a cigarette but they never caught me – in fact, every single time they accused me of leaving the house, I was sitting right next to my monitor or I was sleeping. They replaced my monitor but the new one appears to have the same problems – when i’m standing right next to it, it says “transmitter out of range”. My case worker is Kelly, so if any of you have had experience with her, she can be tough but she’s clearly just overworked and hasn’t violated me.
I haven’t been in contact with my PO at all, so I called him the other day just to let him know how i’m doing well and planning to complete the sentence without incident, and he laughed at me and said most people who end up violating house arrest are pretty flagrant about it – they cut the bracelet, or they get arrested for some other offense i.e. DUI when they should have been at home, so that put me at ease. I asked if anyone has been violated on false charges of leaving their house, and he said that rarely if ever happens – if they do arrest you or bring you into court for a violation, it’s usually for a very serious violation.
Just remember everyone, keep your chin up, don’t flagrantly break the rules even though you can bend them, and try to think more about how far you’ve come than how much further you have to go.
Hello! Not sure how I got to this site,I was just trying to find some info on HA & maybe a group to chat with! I’m in Orange County & with Sentinel out of Santa Ana. If anyone is wanting someone to talk with send me an email : redskyelle@gmail.com Good luck to youall!
I have less then 22 hours left on house arrest. My sentenance was over 4 months. Not as much as some people, but I am so glad its over! I live alone besides my dog. I have gotten severe cabin fever. I was allowed to have family bring me groceries once a week. Anyway, hang in there guys and you will make it thru!
Hello All – thx for all the info, really putting me at ease. Day 1 of 12 on a 2nd DUI (my atty was the man!). So this ankle bracelet does not appear to be charging. Even when plugged into AC power there is no green light. Checked everything, all connections are good.
It’s Friday night so Sentinel is closed. I called their 24 hour # but they didn’t know sh*t. My fear is I’m gonna get pinched out of the gate because of faulty equipment. Any recommendations or what to do?
How the heck did you manage to only have to serve 12 days?! You’re very lucky! Anyway, about your charger “problem”, I thought I was having issues with mine as well when I first started! Whenever I would hook it up & plug it in the indicator light wouldn’t come on & I thought it wasn’t charging! I’ve since learned that after you hook everything up it can take between 1 to 5 minutes before the light starts flashing to let you know it’s charging. It takes about one hour to fully charge & the lights go out/off when it’s done & at a full charge. Hope this solved your problem
If you’re ever in the mood for a chat, send me an email redskyelle@gmail.com Hope to hear from ya!
ron, i had all kinds of problems with the charging, id even get called at 2 or 3 am and told that its dead to plug in to charge, even while i was plugged in. just call the monitoring center tell them you want to be placed on random calls cause you dont think your charging. someone atthe monitoring center told me that there was a batch of chargers that was defective and appeared to be charging the bracelets but werent. after the 2nd time i had to go in, they switched my bracelet and gave me one of the older ones that doesnt need to be charged long as the cell phone looking thing they give u with it sits on the base which was waaaaay better! hope that helps
Don’t panic. If you’re having a problem, call your PO immediately, and if he can’t help you, call your attorney. I’ve had to do the same several times when they threatened to violate me because their equipment malfunctioned.
Just a quick reminder anyone planning on fleeing house arrest should never carry there own mobile with them as that’s got a gps in it and you could easily be tracked within a few days
Hey Everyone!
I searched through all the past entries and learned alot about Sentinel and house arrest in general but it still leaves me with a couple of questions. I have to do a 8 month sentence and just started yesterday. No one came here and installed the equipment I did that myself, no alcohol testing just anklet. So far I’ve been home when I’m supposed to be, but this morning our power went out and went back on within 5 minutes, but no one called. Should I call them or leave it alone? Also, I rent a room that is separate from the main house. I go in the house to use shower/bathroom facilities but haven’t yet. Will this signal the unit to go off? My door to the main house is about 6-7 feet away and the bathroom is maybe 15-20 feet total away from the unit. Also, I am located in Southern Cali high up in the mountains (about a mile high) does this cause any problems with the frequencies? Thanks for any advice or answers.
Hey whats up guys, I’ve been following this thread for a while now. Im 6 weeks into a 6 month sentence (still have a long way to go). From the Case i have lost many things, Car, friends, small growing business, $30k in lawyer and legal fee’s. My Girl friend left me, after the first week, I feel like a burden. I’ve been dealing with depression and was very spiraling into what feels like insanity. I know its worse in prison or jail but i still feel this way, probably from all the loss’s. Every time i try to talk to someone about my problems they usually just state the obvious, or get angry with me. Its about time I join in on this thread, thanks to you guys I can see that its not JUST me that feels this way. How many of you guys are still on the program?
I’m currently on the program, day 39 of 364. At times, I can hardly notice that I am going through this and at other times, I feel as if the days are never ending. The best thing to do is to try and keep yourself busy. Start a project at home, pick up a good book, take the time to better yourself and learn about what you can do differently. I know that it’s easier said than done and if we were all so good at it then we probably wouldn’t be here. I tell myself every day that this situation that I am in, is only temporary. It’s a hell of a lot better than being inside. Some days will be harder and some will be easier, I have lost friends due to their way of living life, money due to court fees, etc., but I still have my freedom…well, sort of. It’s time to start appreciating the simple things, your bed, your shower, waking up at home. I feel that the program isn’t set up that well, I run into hiccups quite often with equipment and the staff at Sentinel Santa Ana. However, I have noticed that if you stay on point with your log and make sure to call in advance and provide accurate proof of your whereabouts, they can’t really do much to you. In the end, you’re a dollar sign and they’d hate to see you walk away. I’m still figuring out the length of my leash while at home so if anyone can give me a rough estimate or tips to go about figuring that out, I would greatly appreciate it.
E_bar thanks for your input, I’ve actually started to look for more projects to do while I am at home. And yes I do notice alot of problems with the equipment and the people at sentinel seem to feed you alot of scare tactics and promote how accurate their equipment is. but from what Ive experienced is that there are times when I’ve been at home and the report says ive been outside. and there were a couple of times i stepped outside and I had told them that i did, their equipment didnt pick it up. I’ve actually have forgotten my equipment at home and came back for it 30 minutes later, i called them and told them what had happened and their their system didnt catch it?!?! but there was 1 time i did step outside and was litterally within 5 feet away from the unit, and their report had caught that one. so its hard to figure out how their system works. Just be careful because after so many exits they may send your PO to check on you.
I am on day one of a 125 day home detention sentence. I live in the San Fran area. I have one GPS ankle bracelet and one alcohol sensing bracelet. Here’s my questions after reviewing all the comments here. How often do the cops show up checking for bottles of booze empty or full? Another question is in response to that guy from Indiana. If you have people over do the cops have the right to ask everyone for their I.D.’s if there is no booze in the house and we are just sitting watching TV and eating pizza? Doesn’t seem right to me.
@Rita I’m no expert and I’ve never been on home detention myself, but it is my understanding that the police cannot demand IDs from other people at your house without probable cause. It has nothing to do with whether or not it’s a violation of your rights, but a violation of the rights of the people visiting your house.
Basically, the police CAN “ask” for their IDs, just like they can “ask” for permission to search somebody’s pockets. But the person being asked has the right to refuse without fear of reprisal. The exception would be if the officer has probable cause or a search warrant. If the officer claims to have either, your guest would then be well-advised to cooperate. After the fact, if it turns out that the officer did NOT have probable cause or a warrant, any criminal charges resulting from that illegal search would be thrown out and the victim would have grounds to sue (it helps if there were witnesses present in case the officer tries to claim that voluntary consent was given).
So no, the police do not have a right to perform any search of your guests (including an ID check) or seizure of their property simply because you’re on house arrest. The fact that your rights have been suspended as a result of a conviction does not mean that anyone visiting your home has their rights suspended as well. But if the officer claims to have probable cause or a warrant, cooperate fully, then ask everyone who was present to write down everything that happened and sign/date it if you believe the officer acted improperly. Then you can take the signed affidavits to an attorney and take it from there.
Mind you, I’m not an attorney myself so any advice I give should be taken with a grain of salt. Your best bet would be to consult an actual attorney if this is more than just idle curiosity.
To Rita, The answer is no the cops do not have the right to check id’s unless they’ve been called to your address for example a loud noise complaint, They legally are able to check ID’s only if they reasonably believe that someone underage is consuming alcohol Unfortuantly the person on home detention has to provide their ID only if requested. The other thing to remember is the alcohol sensing bracelets malfuntion all the time as they did with Paris Hilton what you should do is just drink a very small amount of alcohol say 1 beer and see what happens you can challenge a breathalyzer in court however if you are given a blood test your screwed. It seems like you might of been on it for drink driving or something. what you will notice as i’ve been stuck on it now for 9 months is that you will become really lonely it’s important to get plenty of visitors as you would do in jail at least major advantage of home detention is that unlike in jail you can have the visitors stay as long as they like.
Update:
A cop showed up at my house tonight at 8:45pm. He checked my ankle bracelets, looked in my room, cabinets, refrigerator, said “hi” to my roommate and left. All of this within 2 minutes. He didn’t check the garage, 2 refrigerators in the garage, or the spare bedrooms. Piece of cake.
Hi I actually have a very weird problem with my bracelet is it actually just keeps falling off it’s designed much like a seatbelt in a car it has 2-5 locking mechanisim’s that click on each lock mine luckily is a bit more comfortable to wear. Luckily my P.O who’s not actually my official one i mean yes same department but there’re called home detention officers, who are plain clothed he’s really good He gave me alot of lenancy that other officers wouldn’t by allowing me to attach the strap very loosely and unfortuanly too loosely it fell off when i was putting on cloths must of got caught but usually it takes a hell of alot more force to as they don’t usually just fall off. Has anyone else had this problem?? P.S this is by far my favourite forum on the net as it’s so good to read that there are other people who are struggeling and yes hurting badly with depression as just like in jail it’s very depressing. and yes just like in jail it’s all about prisoners trying to fill in time. 9 months and counting for me.
Hi guys I’m serving a 60 day sentence through sentinel santa ana. My case worker has been really cool with me so far. They really like for you to be on top of your sh*t and stay organized. Fill out your log, provide check stubs time punches receipts etc. From what I can tell, as long as you are on top of your stuff they pretty much back off. Oh and for anybody worried about the initial drug test they DO go in the restroom with you and totally eyeball your junk as youre peeing so there is absolutely no way to get away with any funny stuff. I was a heavy pot smoker and had only been clean about 2 weeks before my start date. I told the girl who was going to take my specimen that I might come up dirty for weed. She didn’t really care at all and as of yet I have never heard anything about that drug test and its almost a month and a half later. And for all of you people hating life.. Seriously ANYTHING is better than jail. At least you get to shower alone, you can order pizza, re connect with your parents (if you live with them), save money, MAKE money, watch movies, play video games, invite your friends over, it’s really not that bad. If there is any info I can provide for anyone just let me know
Hey, can we talk offline. I want to know what ever happened. What’s the best way for me to approach this. I have the same situation as you apparently… Want to know about how to tell them I may have marijuana come up positive at first?
What do you pay per month for your ankle bracelet. I have a GPS and a “SCRAM” bracelet. I pay $840 a month for my home detention in CA.
$840 a MONTH? Surely ye jest.
$840 is cheap. I paid $1316 a month. Depends which programyou choose depends the daily charge. The ankle range is around 130 feet.
What they charge goes by your income. If I worked at McDonald’s I’d pay practically nothing. Sucks.
In Sacrament CA it goes by what u choose then it determines your daily fee.
So far my case worker has been really cool. I’ve called him at 9:00am to ask if I could go shopping and he gave me 2 hours free time twice this week. Yesterday I had lunch at Red Lobster during my shopping time. So far this home detention isn’t that bad.
My DUI was also in the OC but Sentinel let me pick up my equipment in thier Compton office as I work closer to West LA. Unorganized is the first thing I told my girlfriend about Sentinel before I stumbled upon this thread this morning. My original appt to pick up the equipment was 4PM. I was actually driving from Costa Mesa to Santa Monica when I called them and asked if I could stop by at 2PM which they allowed. I got out of there around 4PM. The PA actually gave me the equipment, hooked up my anklet, a quick run down of what to connect, took my 600 dollars and sent me on my way. She said “call us when you get home so we can make sure its all working.” I got home and did not know if anything was working so I called and they were closed. It didn’t even dawn on me to bother calling the Monitoring center which they gave me NO number for but finally found on thier website. I woke up this morning and started researching all of the devices then ran into this thread. So far it seems like everyone is pretty well informed thanks to everyone else who is posting. I’m on day two of a 90 day HA. I’m allowed to go to work, dui classes, grocery shopping once a week etc etc. When I spoke to my PO I told her I was a consultant and constantly travelled to clients. She said to just keep Sentinel in the loop of my whereabouts. When I mentioned this to Sentinel, they said, just get us time cards from your employer. We don’t care were you go since you job requiers travel. I said, I’m salary I don’t have a time card and she said just get us something on letterhead then. Ugh. Regardless, looks like they really don’t care as long as you keep under the radar and pay your fees. I have the RF monitor, GPS and BAT monitor. This is costing me 1000 a month. Guess thats the price of freedom. At least I can type this and now enjoy a Saturday night movie with good food on my couch. Hope everyone is hangin in there.
Hey y’all,
I just got hooked up last friday, the 24th. I have to do 58 days total for my 2nd DUI. I have a VERY LARGE gray bracelet (it’s about 4.5 inches tall by 2.5 inches wide). I have the breathalyser, which didn’t go off for the first 3 days, so I called them on Monday. Now it goes off 4 or 5 times a day! I’m with Sentinel out of Santa Ana. The girl who hooked me up on Friday was really nice (Sida), but she’s not my case officer. I wish she was, cuz she’s very nice, and very pretty.
Anyway, I’m from Colorado, and was out here for work when I got busted for the DUI. They made me come all the way out here to do my house arrest, which is still way better than the OC jails! Too many gang bangers in jail, and I’m just a white dude from Colorado. I’ve been on house arrest in Colorado before, and it’s way cooler than here. First of all the ankle bracelet is a lot smaller there. They don’t use GPS there, just RF. I was able to get a long phone cord and could take the base unit outside so that I could mow my yard and hang out outside, grill food and stuff. Also when I went to work, I could leave early and go hang out at the mall or at the park. You can’t do that here, with the GPS. They can track you if they want to. And Sentinel must trace the outline of your house with their mapping system, so they know when you step out your door. That sucks.
Anyway, everyone hang in there. There is absolutely no comparison between house arrest and jail. I’ve spent over 2 weeks in a Colorado jail, and it’s like the Hilton compared to OC jails – and HA is still way better than that. On HA, you can play guitar, watch movies, read books, eat whatever you want, call people all day long, leave for work, meetings, laundry, church – enjoy being outside. Jail is oppressive and you get treated like shit. The guards verbally beat you down, and it wears on you.
If you get depressed, read the Bible and pray. It definitely helps.
Anyone had a visit from the police yet to check on you? The cops showed up my first day my ankle bracelets were put on. After that nobody has checked on me since Feb. 17th.
Hey guys, Ive been having issues with my setup, I have the RF ankle with the HMU (cell gps thing), and the base charger. there are many times where my case manager has accused me of going outside for leaves and returning within 10 minutes, and one time 45 minutes! I know for sure that i did not step outside. i dont smoke and my dog practically walks herself when i let her out. So there is no reason that i would go outside. I know someone else else having a similar issue with the bigger grey unit. Are any of you guys are having the same issue? even if you were to step outside the RF unit is a radio frequency, so its on a radius. This thing is confusing!
LOL…..spoke too soon! Sheriff came to my house at 10:45 pm on the same day I posted if the cops checked on anyone lately. Scary! This sheriff guy wasn’t too happy to be here at my house. Once again everything was good so he left after 10 minutes. We’re not taking any chances around here.
Don’t go out and guy a gun! More often than not, that just winds up putting you in even more danger. If you’re not a trained law enforcement officer, then you’re setting yourself up for a really bad outcome if you start carrying a gun around.
Instead, I would recommend you take a self-defense class. Those are FAR more effective! And it’ll also help you feel more confident and empowered. After all, you shouldn’t have to live in fear of this guy. Carrying a can of mace in your purse is also a good precaution and highly effective.
Statistically speaking, it’s extremely rare for an offender released from prison to target a previous victim. The exception would be if the two knew each other beforehand. Otherwise, he’s much more likely to target a new victim who isn’t already on alert.
But if you’re still worried and it’s having a prohibitive impact on your life, you may want to consider moving. However, to be honest, I think it’ll be much better for you in the long-run to stand your ground and show that you’re not going to let this man ruin your life by making you live in fear. You have the power to be your own best advocate. I would strongly recommend you sign-up for a self-defense class. Not only will that enable you to protect yourself, but it will also build some much-needed confidence.
I am on the Sentinel home arrest until next week…I also have a home breathalyzer from them as well as the bracelet. I was wondering what would happen if you failed a breathalyzer test. Would they know immediately and contact you about it…etc, etc….or do they download a log of some sort after you bring the equipment back in once your done??
Here’s the deal. If you are young you are screwed. If you are old like me you can pretty much go wherever you want with your ankle bracelet. You call your case worker and BAM! Green light. I go everywhere. I callto go get a prescription at Walgreens and I eat at the Chinese place next door. Go to Walmart to shop and I eat next door at Denny’s. No problem.
Hi everyone. I’m 22yrs old and I have never been in trouble for anything in my life bsides driving without insurance a few years ago… a few months ago I got my 2nd offence of driving with Bo insurance and now I’m onhm house arrest for 30 days and 2 ye probation with 150 days hanging over my head!!!!! I live in Ky this is insane. Do u all think I will have to take a drug test??? Considering I have never been in trouble for anything
Mandatory private insurance is corporate welfare at its worst IMHO. Getting a citation for it is bad enough, but KY actually puts people on house arrest for it?! That’s absolutely despicible. Assuming what you posted is accurate, I would say you’re the victim of an injustice.
A lot of lower-income people simply cannot afford liability insurance. And yet, in many areas where public transportation is virtually non-existant, they often have no choice but to either drive without insurance or quit their job.
You got royally screwed and you have my sympathy. Unfortunately, that’s not worth very much lol. When you get off house arrest, you should consider speaking out about this. I realize that KY is a backwards redneck state dominated by pro-corporate Republicans, but you should be able to get at least some traction with the public. After all, you have no criminal history and would probably be very easy for most people to related to.
Perhaps some good can come from this if you manage to highlight this experience as a perfect example of why that idiotic law needs to be changed.
Oh and yes they’ll probably make you do drug tests. Why? Because the people writing the laws are idiots who just assume that every “criminal” is also a drug addict. So stay sober just to be on the safe side and hang in there! =)
Anyone else getting calls from colleges on their Sentinal tacker?
I have my appointment at Sentinel on Friday of this week, so 4 days away. I have smoked marijuana for 12 years straight and have been clean as of about 2.5weeks ago. I tested today dirty with a home test and am very worried about going in on Friday and testing dirty again. I know it typically takes 28 days to rid your system, however I’ve been exercising, taking niacin, econechia,etc to help the process.
I read a previous person’s experience whereby they were only clean for two weeks, the person didn’t seem to care and was told they would test again in 30 days, but never did. Can anyone else say anything about a similar experience?
Thanks Kris,
Yes what I wrote is all very true.. they have breathalized me twice. I have to pay $4.00a day until I’m done with this.. I’m not allowed outside or even on my porch.. I’m gonna miss my 9 month old daughters filst Easter bcuz of this. Ky laws are stupid I actually live in Louisville I think they are just after money.. how should I go about speaking out
I am on HA in Indiana. You all in California haveit pretty easy. I know I can’t go out side because I woukd be caught. My field worker only had 15 clients to preform home visits. So in order you get his hours in he drives by often and comes to my house almost every day. All he does is a breathalizer and then leaves. (niceguythough..today he allowed me to sit outside for awhile)
I also have to go everyday monday – friday and checking at the office and h ave a breathalizer. Thete is no freetime. If you do not have support to do the shopping etc…you will not get approved
Wow! Compared to you, I (in CA) do have it WAY easier! Because I have cancer I need to go to several different doctors each month, plus extra time to go to the pharmacy to get all my meds. I’m also a single parent, so because of the kids, I get 4 hours to go and do laundry, instead of the usual 2 hours. I also get 2 shopping days a week instead of the usual 1 AND I take them both to school and pick them up. It seems like I’m out of the house more than I’m in! I find it so unfair that you have to have outside support to help with shopping or you’ll be denied! So how long is your HA? I have about 50 days left out of 135. I’ve gotten pretty used to the routine, but I’d much rather make my own choices! If you’re ever bored and want to chat send me an email: redskyelle@gmail.com
Hi all well it sucks to hear that miliza is not even allowed outside i’m sure that means not even to take out garbage or washing on the line Me i’m still stuck on it that is the evils of house arrest so much like jail that i’m basically in it but i do miss my friends from the big house. By the way now that there are so many posts on here that’s not actually related to what the discussion is about “Removing a bracelet” There is only 1 way to do it You need a Hair straightner and make sure to heat the plastic away from the main transmitter (the bulkiest part of the bracelet) as it would most likely set off the alarm. Be careful though not to burn through the wire in the middle of the strap as that would alert them to a cut bracelet and the cops would probably come around. Heat for about 1 minute been careful obviously not to burn yourself it helps to put a peice of cardboard wrapped in Alfoil to prevent the tamper alarm been set off. Always wait 10 -20 minutes at home after the bracelt is off to ensure the alarm hasn’t been set off a good way of knowing this is to check your HMU to see if it’s flashing it will usually be a green or red flash on it if you see that then if you are asking how do you then get it back on simply heat up strap the rubber should expand about 20 centimetres at most be careful as the rubber will be extreemly hot when it’s put back on a good way to deal with this is to put a sock on remeber this a golden secret not even my parole officer knows that i do this also it is incredibly important that you only do it when you are despearte for freedom the best times are during the week or after about 9pm the good news is if your officer comes to check on you while you piss off out of the house without your bracelet they will simply only check on there pager to say that you are actually there. This is obviously an escape methard to but people out there that would have to be your last resort. I’ve now been stuck on it for 10 months and it’s been one hell of a lonely sad journey with no doubt more time to come. If you were thinking of escaping it’s important to believe in yourself and obviously get out of the state please remember people that like with been in any jail you would have to plan the escape extreemly well you’d have to think of things like Where would you go? how would you support yourself financially? Avoiding detection is a hard one. The best way when your on the run is a good discuise this includes new clothes new hair style but make no mistake golden rule of running away is to get out of the state so that the cops would have to extradite you back and they can’t just come out and arrest you and also if you are really well setup with loads of money go to an Non extraditible country. Pakistan been perfect
Hey y’all
I’m R’achal I’m 25 and I started house arrest today. I’m in for 30 days and I’m in Nashville tn. Iv read all the thread and I have more questions than answers bc I think mine is way different. My bracelet says sentinel on it but I have nothing at home that’s plugged in except the charger. I don’t even know anything about the breathalyzer. No one said anything about one. Here’s my story.
I was on a pay review and missed a court date. Had choice between this and jail. Naturally I chose this. Expensive but worth it. They told me to come in to court. I did. They took me in a room. Asked for my money. My work schedule and address. Told me to charge it once in morning one at night. And to call if TGE schedule changed. That’s it. Nothing else. It’s thru a bails bonding company. It’s a small county. They have told me nothing. I do not know if lights are supposed to be on or off or green or red or how far or anything!! Please help! I’m so confused. I have no probation. Just this ankle bracelet and charger and told to come to the bail bond place every week to pay. What does green mean? Red? No light?
Im freaking out!!!!
My anklet is flashing red, can anybody tell me why? I noticed an hour ago it was steadily red then it began flashing. please help. I just got on house arrest today and there’s no numbers to call during after hours.
Marie.. You can call Sentinel at 800-278-1201
But my HA ppl say don’t worry about the colors or flashing.
I was freaked out as well at first. If you would like to chat u can email me at XxParisSkyxX@aim.com
Or any other HA person.
So.. In conclusion, don’t freak out, call the company if it makes you feel better, and email me if ur bored!
howdy everyone….its been a long time since my last post but thats because i been busy….ok so just answering questions from this page…with over 3 years on the bracelette….i will say yes the first cple weeks they let u sweat then they just pop in on ya….ANYONE who has a bracelette can and prolly will be drug/alcohol tested…CAREFUL BCUZ WHO YOU THINK ARE YOUR FRIENDS ARE NOT!!!…they will b the first to drop a dime if u have a minor disagreement ….n e ways….if yer unit has the breathalyzer they will know immediately and ANY TYPE of failure is usually followed by incareceration….now they can do whatever but in my state they will throw u in the hole for a week or so and then possibly bring you back out…it all depends…anytime of the day they can call you into the prison for a “hand swab”…which with determine if u have touched anything…as for after hours numbers it should be in your handbook called “on duty” officers or sumthing….if its blinking dont worry too much unless you get THE CALL….they run checks every 45mins or so…so dont worry bout lights too much they will def call you if sumthings amiss….any other thing you would like to know HMU…jaybonejbne at the Y…ciao’