How Much Does An Ankle Monitor Cost?

Last Updated on June 7, 2024
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Ankle monitors, also referred to as tether or ankle bracelet devices, are electronic tracking devices often mandated as alternatives to incarceration within the criminal justice system. But what are the complete costs associated with utilizing these GPS monitoring systems and services?

This guide examines the different types of ankle monitor technologies available today, factors that influence pricing and value for taxpayer dollars, typical hardware, and ongoing monitoring cost ranges from vendors, frequently overlooked fees to watch out for, advantages, and ethical concerns regarding fiscal impacts on marginalized offenders, and cost reduction strategies courts can implement while upholding public safety.

How Much Does An Ankle Monitor Cost?

The total cost for an ankle monitor typically ranges from a minimum of $1,000 per year for basic radio frequency monitoring models up to $10,000 or more annually for premium GPS tracking, depending on the features, duration, vendor terms, and required user fees.

The total costs of electronic ankle monitoring vary widely based on the specific technology used, program duration, and cost-sharing agreements between supervising agencies and monitored offenders.

On average, GPS tracking ankle monitors cost agencies about $3,000 to $5,000 per individual per year for equipment leasing, data services, case management, and field supervision. Offenders may be required to pay an additional $500 to $2,000 or more in user fees over a monitoring term, including daily device rental fees, setup/removal charges, and non-compliance fines, leading to potential financial hardship.

Basic RF monitors start under $2,000 yearly for agencies and $200 user fees. Overall, continuous location tracking capability, risk levels, contract terms, and assigned payment obligations determine total ankle monitoring costs averaging $3,000 to $7,000 across both taxpayers and participants. Cost-sharing strategies must balance public risk and rehabilitation.

According to the ACLU, the cost of wearing an ankle monitor can range from $3 to $35 per day, often in addition to initial setup charges, which can range from $100 to $200. These expensive fees can amount to hundreds of dollars per month, overburdening households already dealing with the return of loved ones from incarceration.

The Daily Dot reports that setting up an ankle monitor costs $50, and then it’s about $14 for daily maintenance. In a month, a person with an ankle monitor could easily pay over $400 or even about $1,000 in a place like San Francisco.

In a Reddit post, users discuss how monitoring ankle bracelets cost money, with one user stating, “You can always choose to stay in jail or pay $8 a day for your freedom. Easy choice.”

An Amazon listing for an ankle tracker device mentions that it costs $27 per month for the service.

AL.com reports that for the first seven months of her house arrest, Brittany Smith had to pay $10 per day for the ankle monitor, which took up more than half of her monthly income of $520 in social security benefits.

Ankle Monitor Cost for Agencies

For law enforcement agencies, courts, and corrections departments responsible for community monitoring programs, the primary costs involved include:

• Ankle Monitor Hardware Purchase or Leasing – Modern GPS tracker units cost approximately $200 to $350 per device when purchased upfront or can be leased for $5 to $15 daily. Branded RF monitors cost $100 to $250 purchased. Both require constant replacement cycles.
• Monitoring Management Software Licensing Fees – Required centralized data collection, analysis, and case management software costs departments approximately $5 to $15 per monitored offender monthly. Scales based on user volume.
• 24/7 Live Monitoring/Alert Response Center– $4 to $10 per client daily is typical for staffing active command centers that monitor location data streams in real-time and provide interventions or violation escalations based on suspicious tracking events or unauthorized movements. Fixed costs persist regardless of active ankle bracelet counts.
• Installation and Removal Labor – $30 to $75 per instance compensates either vendor technicians or departmental field officers for time and transportation costs associated with initial ankle monitor mounting as well as removal upon program completion. Helps offset resource drains.
• Administrative Program Management – An additional $5 to $15 per offender daily represents public staff hours required for initial case intake, monitoring plan development, technical training, daily case management, status reviews, violation processing, and quality assurance oversight of the programs. Substantial labor costs accumulate over caseloads.

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Total All-In Agency Costs Per Offender – Given the line items above, estimates suggest total daily costs borne by taxpaying jurisdictions range from $10 to $25 per monitored individual depending on the exact equipment used, service plan terms negotiated with vendors, current contract status, and both field and office staffing models employed. Expenses add up rapidly at scale across thousands of participants.

Ankle Monitor Costs for Offenders

Beyond just the agency expenditures, individuals sentenced to electronic monitoring via ankle bracelets may have separate mandated costs and daily user fees imposed by the courts including:

• Hardware Leasing Daily Fee – Monitored offenders are often required to lease the physical GPS or RF ankle units from vendors at daily rates typically ranging from $5 to $20, offsetting total equipment acquisition budgets.
• Upfront Setup and Activation Fee – A one-time upfront program enrollment fee of $50 to $250 is frequently imposed to offset administrative intake processing, monitoring plan development, and materials costs prior to device assignment.
• Fixed Installation and Removal Fees – Approximately $30 to $100 per instance is commonly assessed for the officer’s time spent installing the unit, showing proper use, as well as removal at program completion.
• Replacement Fees for Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Units – Offenders may be charged the full $300 to $600 replacement value of monitoring equipment intentionally damaged or deemed negligently lost. This recoups public equipment costs and deters abuse or black market resale.

Typical All-In Offender Costs – For a 90-day monitoring term, overall out-of-pocket costs owed directly by offenders often total $500 to $2,000 or more over the duration depending on the daily device rental rate and other variable fees assessed by jurisdictions. These expenses stack on top of agency operational costs funded through taxation.

Monthly cumulative fees owed by individuals quickly skyrocket to substantial sums rivaling typical rental or mortgage payments for those out of work or without support systems. Yet nonpayment results in probation violations or contempt of court.

What is an Ankle Monitor?

An ankle monitor is a lightweight, tamper-resistant electronic tracking unit worn around an individual’s ankle to continuously monitor their geographic location and movements in real-time. Ankle monitors are commonly mandated by judicial systems as an alternative to incarceration in order to:

• Allow house arrest as a substitute for jail time during pre-trial proceedings, sentencing reviews, or work release programs.
• Closely monitor parolees and probationers released from correctional facilities to ensure compliance with geographic restrictions.
• Determine the whereabouts and potential proximity violations of high-risk offenders such as sex offenders, domestic abusers, or repeat DUI perpetrators using restraining orders or exclusion zones.
• Innovative models can detect transdermal alcohol levels for sobriety verification to deter alcohol consumption.
• Provide authorities with immediate alerts if monitored persons enter unauthorized locations or attempt device tampering or removal for rapid intervention.

Powerful GPS and radio frequency (RF) technologies integrated into ankle bracelets provide round-the-clock monitoring of an individual’s movements and location to support public safety goals when alternatives to incarceration are deemed legally appropriate by the courts.

Types of Ankle Monitors

There are three primary technology categories used in electronic ankle monitoring equipment today, each with inherent cost implications based on features and manufacturing expenses:

• GPS Monitors– Provide continuous precision tracking of wearer locations accurate to within about 50 feet, both indoors and out. This allows pinpointing violations and pattern analysis. However, the advanced GPS components also increase the hardware costs significantly over simpler models.
• Radio Frequency (RF) Monitors– Use an inexpensive short-range radio anklet and a base unit installed in the offender’s home which must remain within a set proximity, usually 100-150 feet. It provides only basic inclusion zone monitoring, not exact locations beyond confirming if the wearer is within range of the home base or not. It cannot pinpoint movements beyond that immediate radius.
• Transdermal Alcohol Detection Bracelets– Specialized ankle monitors that frequently sample perspiration through the skin to detect ethyl alcohol which indicates drinking. May employ fuel cell or infrared spectroscopy technologies. Greatly reduces alcohol consumption violation potentials.

Hybrid multi-function ankle monitor models incorporating GPS, RF, and alcohol detection modes are also available for intensive tracking scenarios, but upgrade costs multiply quickly. Carefully selecting the minimum viable features needed for each use case optimizes value.

Factors Influencing Ankle Monitor Costs

Several important considerations impact the total budgets for electronic monitoring programs:

• Hardware Expenses– The costs to purchase or lease monitoring equipment varies based on features. Complex GPS devices are pricier than basic RF models.
• Monitoring Duration– Most vendors charge daily or monthly service fees. Longer monitoring terms increase cumulative expenses.
• Technical Support and Data Services– Ongoing operating costs for monitoring centers, data retention, and case management stack up over time.
• number of Units Deployed– Agency negotiated bulk pricing and multiyear contracts provide economies of scale that help minimize per unit costs.
• Offender Pay Components– Some jurisdictions offset budgets by requiring user fees. Unpaid amounts place burden on taxpayers.

GPS vs. RF Ankle Monitor Costs

GPS Tracking Ankle Monitors

• Hardware Costs – $200 to $400 per unit when purchased. Add $5 to $20 daily for vendor leasing.
• Monthly Software & Support Fees – Approximately $200 to $400 covers live monitoring management.
• Advanced Location Tracking Features – Pinpoint location mapping, real-time geographic violation alerts, inclusionary and exclusionary zone definitions.
• Pros – Maximum surveillance capability levels for higher-risk caseloads.
• Cons – Significantly higher hardware expenses and continuous per offender management costs.

Basic RF House Arrest Ankle Monitors

• Hardware Costs – $100 to $250 per unit purchased upfront.
• Monthly Software & Support Fees – Around $100 to $200 on average.
• Monitoring Features – Only basic inclusion zone monitoring and violation alerts if out of allowed radius.
• Pros – Lower hardware costs and monitoring expenses per user.
• Cons – Limited features and less detailed visibility into actual locations and movements.

While GPS provides unparalleled accuracy, RF monitors offer a more budget-friendly option for house arrest compliance that may be suitable depending on each case.

Ankle Monitor Vendors and Pricing

Companies supplying electronic monitoring technologies and services to legal agencies include:

• BI Incorporated – Owned by The GEO Group, they monitor 85,000+ daily across all 50 states. All-in monitoring costs clients report range from $4,000 to $12,000+ annually per participant depending on capabilities used.
• Satellite Tracking of People (STOP) – Offer GPS, RF, and sobriety ankle bracelets specifically designed for offender management. Monthly costs around $200 to $300.
• Sentinel Offender Services – Provides both RF and multi-mode GPS monitoring products plus software to departments, starting at daily rates as low as $3.50 assumed paid per offender.
• Attenti Group – End-to-end monitoring solutions scaling from RF house arrest models up to advanced GPS tracking with analytics for under $15 daily.

Agencies should compare vendor options closely to negotiate optimal contract terms and balance offender fees carefully against deterrence benefits.

The True Financial Impact

On paper, electronic monitoring sounds preferable to jail. But we must consider the real-world outcomes and unintended consequences of imposing user fees on defendants awaiting trial or ex-offenders rebuilding economic stability.

Financial impacts that disproportionately affect lower-income individuals under extensive supervision include:

• Significant monthly costs that approach or exceed food and housing budgets.
• Prioritizing monitor payments over other essentials like medication.
• Inability to pay creating added court fines, jail time, and cycle of systemic poverty.
• Loss of employment due to supervision constraints restricting working opportunities.
• Poor GPS signals in rural or high-density urban environments causing false violation alerts.
• Lack of public transit options to travel for mandated meetings and services.

While ankle monitors offer alternatives to incarceration, their financial burdens demonstrate why programs must be carefully tailored and waivers available for indigent persons. The benefits of liberty must be weighed against the chains of debt.

Ankle Monitoring vs Incarceration

Monitoring costs taxpayers and offenders substantially less than prison or jail stays. Estimates suggest:

• Ankle Monitoring– $3,600 to $6,000 annually per person based on agency operations, equipment, and user fees.
• Incarceration– $25,000+ annually per inmate for facilities, staffing, healthcare, and related institutional expenses.

Yet, some fiscal critics argue electronic monitoring casts too wide and harsh of an economic net, entrapping marginalized communities in cycles of escalating fees, penalties, and supervision that become nearly impossible to break from. There are no easy answers when balancing public resources, safety, rehabilitation, deterrence, and the social implications of justice.

Reduce Ankle Monitoring Costs

Suggested strategies for conscientious use of scarce taxpayer funds paired with providing support and second chances:

• Carefully screen cases for monitoring necessity rather than default assignment.
• Avoid fee duplication between agency and user expenses by clearly delineating financial responsibility.
• Offer subsidized GPS leasing rates based on ability to pay judgments.
• Provide job placement and vocational assistance to empower financial independence.
• Make payment plans and community service alternatives available for demonstrated indigence.
• Produce easy-to-understand fee schedules and budget education resources.

With open communication, reasonable accommodation, and graduated sanctions, agencies can apply electronic monitoring in a manner that maximizes rehabilitation and reentry outcomes.

Final Words

The costs of electronic ankle monitoring programs warrant nuanced evaluation, weighing public safety imperatives, taxpayer burdens, and the unintended consequences imposed on offenders lacking resources.

With careful design, compassionate concessions based on objective affordability hardships, graduated sanctions, and incentivized compliance improvements, agencies can potentially apply this technology judiciously to reduce risks and incarceration costs while still promoting rehabilitation, restitution, and sustainable independence for many. Ankle bracelets deliver more proportional, constructive criminal justice outcomes when deployed as responsible bridges toward positive futures, not punitive debt traps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do ankle monitors cost money?

Offenders are generally required to bear some monitoring costs to offset public expenditures and help fund the extensive GPS tracking, data collection, case management, and enforcement efforts required. However, agencies must balance deterrence with rehabilitation when setting financially accountable but reasonable supervision terms.

What are the restrictions of an ankle monitor?

Common restrictions include curfews, home confinement, stay-away orders from designated high-risk areas, local travel radius limits, movement restrictions, as well as bans on drug and alcohol use that may be actively monitored. Intensive conditions aim to control risks without being overly punitive.

How often do you have to charge an ankle monitor?

For actively tracked GPS models, charging the ankle monitor unit usually needs to happen daily for 1-2 hours to ensure continuous operation. RF monitors with only proximity detection have longer multi-day battery life. Maintenance and charging discipline are imposed as accountability terms of supervision orders.

Can you take an ankle monitor off to shower?

Ankle monitors must be worn continuously, even while bathing and swimming. They are designed to be waterproof at depths up to 25 feet to allow normal hygiene and activities without removal. Tampering by taking off the bracelet triggers immediate alerts to supervising case officers. They are built for 24/7 wear.