Electronic monitoring in Belgium

13 may 2005

Kizzy RombautNational Center for Electronic Monitoring

EM in Belgium

•History

•Legal basis

•Technique

•Procedural / organisational aspects

•Statistical information

History

April 1998 - september 2000 - Pilote project (30 months - 72 offenders)

Board of Ministers decides in June 2000:National implementation of EM in Belgiumgoal : 300 EM on a daily basis within 3 years

1996 - Minister of Justice De Clerck - experiment

Wednesday 6 november 2002: 300 EM

Goal is reached in 2 years time.

Board of Ministers april 2003:450 EM on a daily basis

Governmental Aggreement after latest elections of juli 2003EM population has to be expanded with 1000 units on a daily basis

Reïntegration Control of prison overcrowding

Board of Ministers September 2002:EM capacity on a daily basis has to be raised to 600

Board of Ministers October 2003:Approval of budget for expansion to 450 EM on a daily basis

Legal basis

Legislation

Ministerial Circular Letters

M.O. 1680/IX (26/11/1997)M.O. 1683/IX (27/3/1998)M.O. 1692/IX (27/11/1998)

M.O. 1720 (13/10/2000) : Creation of the National Center for EMM.O. 1720 bis (29/11/2000)M.O. 1720 ter (22/2/2001)M.O. 1727 (12/4/2001): + “zelfaanbod” (no translation: to describe)

M.O. 1741 (8/4/2002) + erratum (16/4/2002)M.O. 1745 (6/8/2002): health insuranceM.O. 1746 (9/8/2002) M.O. 1751 (8/11/2002): economic support for those without subsistence minimumM.O. 1746 bis (26/11/2002)M.O. 1751 bis (15/1/2003)M.O. 1751 ter (7/2/2003)M.O. 1761 (30/12/2003)

Procedural / organisationalaspects

Definition(as foreseen in the Belgian legislation)

Electronic Monitoring

“... is a form of execution of the prison sentence whereby use is made of electronic means to control during a fixed term the presence of severely selected offenders, outside the prison and on previously

agreed places and times.”

In that sense EM has all the characteristic features (in a measure)

of a prison sentence.

Offender criteria

Criteria of exclusion:

* sex offences (with minor age victims)

* trade of human beings

* offenders without residence permit

Counter indications: REHABILITATION POTENTIAL PERSONALITY CONDUCT IN PRISON RISK AT COMMITTING NEW OFFENCES RISK AT THREAT OF PHYSICAL INTEGRITY THIRD PARTIES INCOMPATIBILITY OF FAMILY CONTEXT WITH EM INCOMPATIBILITY OF THE NATURE OF THE OFFENCE(S) COMMITTED WITH EM (e.g. organised drug trade) ATTITUDE TOWARDS VICTIMS

General conditions:

* housemates have to agree (>18years)

* usefull occupation

* fixed abode and telephone line

Prison Sentences < 3 year

Assessment phase in view of E.M. (“zelfaanbod” + < 1 year)

General procedure (provisional release)

Prison Sentences > 3 year

Conditional Release -procedure

End of the complete prison sentence

Procedure - CategoriesProcedure - Categories

Selection phaseSelection phase

Investigation by Social Workers of the National Center for EM

home/social environment

agreement housemate(s)

advice EMDecision

prison governor or administration of Prison Service

conditions

The placing of offenders under EMThe placing of offenders under EM

PRISON MOBILETEAMNCET

SECURIS

Role of the private sector is very limited in Belgium !!!

Agreement

Warrant

Tag

(prison)

Home Monitoring Unit

(at offenders’ home)

ExecutionExecution

Controle

monitoring service of the NCEM

Guidance

social service of the NCEM

Guidance

Social workers NCEM

Follow-up conditions

Curfews

Coordination reintegration

Evaluation (reports)

OccupationOccupation

BEING AT HOME

PROFESSIONAL OREDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

PSYCHOLOGICAL,MEDICAL,SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

LEISURE TIME OUTSIDE THEHOME

Disciplinary measuresDisciplinary measures

Warning

Adaptation of the curfew

Adjustment of the conditions

Temporary incarceration

Definitive stoppage of EM

provisional release

Automatically: conditional release

end of punishment

disciplinary reasons

Premature: medical reasons

change in legal situation (eg., new conviction)

End of EMEnd of EM

Technical aspects

Type of EM technology Radio frequency / tagging% of cases in which used 100%Name of equipment supplier ElmotechName of prime contractor Alert Services

> The use of new technologies (diversification ) is possible with the new contract but needs a political decision.

Involvement of the private sectorInvolvement of the private sector

Private company Ministry of Justice

— supply equipment x

— induct persons on scheme Private sector only in backup

— operate monitoring centre x

— respond to violations x

— initiate breach procedures x

Statistical Information

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

okt/ 00 feb/01 jun/01 okt/ 01 feb/02 jun/02 okt/ 02 feb/03 juni-03 okt-03 feb/04 jun/04 okt/ 04 feb/05

Gemiddeld aantal E.T.'s op dagbasis

Average Length of EMAverage Length of EM

Zelfaanbod 93 dagen

General procedure 97 dagen

Conditional release 78 dagen

End of punishment 117 dagen

90 dagen

Actifs FR NL Total

42% 58% 100%Constitué 85 118 203

47% 70% 58%43% 57% 100%

Proc. Générale 19 25 4410% 15% 13%75% 25% 100%

LC 72 24 9640% 14% 27%71% 29% 100%

6 FP 5 2 73% 1% 2%52% 48% 100%

Total 181 169 350100% 100% 100%

EM-population on EM-population on 11 may 200511 may 2005

Successful completion rateSuccessful completion rate

81 % in 2004

possible reason for an anticipated end of EM: disciplinary reasons (large majority), a new sentence, medical reasons or re-offending (minority)

Taking in account the few exclusiongrounds for offenders, the result is very positive.

Since the start of EM in Belgium, no major incidents have occured.

The overall opinion of the belgian public and press regarding to EM is positive.

dagbesteding begin ET

andere

i/ afw. v/ vorming

vorming

invalide/ziekte

huish'e taken

pensioen

werkzoekend

voltijds tws

deeltijds tws

28%

32%

5%

2%2%

11%

8%

11%

1%

dagbesteding einde ET

andere

i/afw. v/vorming

vorming

invalide/ziekte

huish'e taken

pensioen

werkzoekend

voltijds tws

deeltijds tws

34%

7%

18%

19%

11%

5%

2%2%

1%

Future of EM in Belgium?Future of EM in Belgium?

Board of Ministers april 2003: 450 EM

+ 1000 EM (july 2003)

EM as an autonomous sentence? (1 april 2004)

Ongoing research on EMOngoing research on EM

• internal research :

exploratory research on the opportunities of EM as an autonomous sanction (cfr. Community sanction)

• external research :

evaluative research of 5 years EM in Belgium