House arrest is a court-ordered and officer-supervised sanction that sentences certain offenders instead of going to jail. When sentenced to such a penalty, a person must remain within the established limits of their home at all times, but may be granted limited travel privileges for work, school, or medical appointments. Both adults and minors can be sentenced to house arrest, and all are on temporary probation for the duration of the sentence. Probation can include routine meetings with a probation officer, random drug screenings, community service, therapy, counseling, victim impact panels, drug education courses, and more.
Although the name seems pretty straightforward, there is much more to a house arrest sentence than just house confinement. If you or a loved one is facing house arrest, it helps to get some answers to some common questions to reassure you and clear up any confusion you may have had about the terms and conditions of house arrest. Read on to review the most frequently asked questions about home confinement to do just that!
What are the general rules of house arrest?
Each person’s case is different and is subject to different regulations. However, the general rules of house arrest include no drugs or alcohol in residence, no drug or alcohol use, a probation officer can stop by the house at any time to check for drugs or alcohol or to take a test of random drugs, adherence to an established curfew, and all probation orders (ie, community service, rehab, etc.).
How do they control you?
A person under house arrest wears an electronic sensing device on the ankle at all times. This device is paired with another that is connected to a person’s home phone. The device will record the dates and times of all trips within and outside the established limits. If any of these records show that a person traveled off limits for a time that was not allowed, the probation officer is notified and the person is raped. Tampering with the device will also be logged and considered a violation.
What happens if you violate its terms?
If someone breaks any of their sentencing rules, they are subject to being ordered to a parole violation hearing in court. This means that you are not only facing the above charges, but are now facing additional charges as well. Sometimes a probation officer will give a warning the first time, but it is important to understand that the terms are taken very seriously and a minor infraction will be sanctioned.
Do you need a lawyer if you commit a violation?
In most cases, yes. The penalties for such violations are taken very seriously, and the penalties a person faces for them are also very harsh. Your criminal defense attorney already knows your case and will defend you once again to minimize the penalties you face for violating it. They are your only hope of avoiding the maximum charges for a violation.