The Scottsdale City Council will consider allowing home detention centers for DUI offenders at their April 27 meeting in order to save money on the city's jail costs. The Arizona Republic reports that Arizona law allows such programs, but that it's up to a city or town to create a house arrest program. Many city courts in the Valley already have such programs.
The program may go into effect as early as this summer, and could even affect the defense tactics of an Arizona DUI attorney. Instead of extended jail time for DUI offenders, a home detention program would allow for convicted drunk drivers to wear an ankle bracelet that would monitor the location of a particular person. The ankle bracelet would only allow the offender to be away a certain number of feet away from the house.
Allowing a home detention program in Scottsdale would save the city anywhere from $600,000 to $1 million a year, according to the city's projected estimates. In addition to saving the city money, some Arizona DUI attorneys argue that a house arrest option for DUI offenders is beneficial in that it allows the offender to keep a job and go on with his or her life. If an offender is able to have a job, then he or she would be able to reimburse the court for jail costs.
Right now, courts assess jail costs to the defendant, but usually the courts are only able to collect 50 to 60 percent of the money that is owed because the offender is not always able to pay off all of the fines. This is just one reason why Scottsdale's court administrator Janet Cornell is in favor of allowing a house arrest program.
"Because that person is in jail, most likely they're going to lose their job," Ms. Cornell told the Arizona Republic. "Different people have different views. Some think it lets the defendant off easy. But it helps that person preserve their family relationship and their job."
House arrest is just one option for someone convicted of a DUI. If you have questions about a DUI conviction, it may be useful to contact a Phoenix DUI attorney.
Related Resources:
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Alternative Sentences (FindLaw)
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State-by-State DUI Penalties (FindLaw)
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Contact a Phoenix DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
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