Analyzing Efficacy of Home Electronic Incarceration on Return-to-Custody Rates for Inmates During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Home Electronic Incarceration (HEI) is a tech-enabled alternative allowing the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail (ACRJ) to monitor individuals outside the correctional facility. Carefully selected individuals are allowed to serve their sentences within the boundaries of an approved location. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, local courts and ACRJ adjusted sentencing and incarceration practices to reduce jail occupancy and limit the spread of coronavirus (N. Goodloe, personal communication, September 12, 2022). We wish to explore whether the increased use of HEI affected the return to custody (RTC) at ACRJ.These methods consist of comprehensive, quantitative analysis of booking data provided by ACRJ, in conjunction with continued insight and guidance from Region Ten Community Services (locally known as "R10", a provider of mental health resources), Offender and Aid Restoration- Jefferson Area Community Corrections (OAR-JACC) and the Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless (BRACH). This paper presents results of ACRJ inmate outcomes within two areas of focus: HEI sentences pre- vs. post-COVID and HEI vs. non-HEI individuals during and since the onset of COVID. In addition to this analysis, we have collaborated with key community stakeholders to better understand the state of the Albemarle-Charlottesville criminal justice system as it recovers from the pandemic.We found that prior to the onset of the pandemic, HEI was reserved for frequent offenders who typically were serving felony charges. After the beginning of the pandemic, ACRJ began placing individuals on HEI who were more representative of the jail population as a whole in terms of prior criminal history and the mix of misdemeanor and felony offenders. We also demonstrated that individuals on HEI are incarcerated for significantly extended periods for comparable offenses than those who serve their sentence in ACRJ, as individuals in jail can get days off of their sentence for good behavior, while HEI participants are ineligible for such time credits. Finally, our analysis of RTC rates at ACRJ shows that HEI results in lower RTC rates than traditional jail sentences, pre- and post-COVID, and when split between misdemeanor and felony offenses. This analysis provides strong evidence for the efficacy of HEI as an alternative to incarceration in our local community, which may give an example for other jurisdictions to adopt or expand HEI usage in the future.