Far too often, police services in Alberta issue bulletins about the release of offenders who are at a high risk to reoffend. Just as often, there are news stories about Albertans being victimized by offenders who should not have been released. Under the proposed Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, individuals subject to a court-ordered electronic monitoring condition would be required to wear a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device on their ankle. This device would be monitored 24/7 by a centralized monitoring unit within Alberta Correctional Services.
Ankle bracelet electronic monitoring would protect Albertans and communities by helping to secure offender-restricted areas, such as victims’ residences, places of employment or any other area deemed off-limits as part of an individual’s bail or community-release conditions.
“The federal government’s bail policies are failing to keep people safe. We are taking an important step toward combatting rising crime, creating safer streets and neighbourhoods and protecting our communities. Ankle bracelet electronic monitoring is another tool in the toolbox for courts to hold high-risk and repeat offenders accountable for their actions while out on bail.”
Currently, people in Alberta who are subject to provincial community-based court conditions and bail supervision are monitored by staff within Correctional Services, primarily within regular business hours. Once operational, the Alberta ankle bracelet program would provide more supervision of repeat offenders and those on bail who require around-the-clock monitoring as a condition of their community supervision. This program would also align Alberta with jurisdictions across Canada running similar programs.
Alberta’s government allocated $5.25 million in funding for electronic monitoring through last year’s budget. Of that funding, $2.8 million will cover implementation costs for this 2024-25 fiscal year, with the full funding of $5.25 million to begin in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Quick Facts
- While technologies vary, 10 Canadian jurisdictions, including British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and the Yukon operate electronic monitoring programs that use ankle bracelet technologies.
- Correctional Services Canada also uses electronic monitoring through ankle bracelet technologies.
Related information
- Community sentences
- Keeping Alberta families and communities safe
- Bill 11: Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2024
Related news
- Keeping Alberta communities and families safe (March 13, 2024)