If you have committed a non-violent crime in Phoenix, you may be eligible for home detention. Home detention or house arrest is an alternative to serving your sentence in jail. In many cases, house arrest is less expensive and much more comfortable than serving the incarceration sentence in jail. However, home detention is not intended as an “easy way out” of serving jail time. An offender must follow strict rules regarding monitoring, and the offender must pay the costs associated with monitoring services. A Phoenix criminal defense attorney can be very helpful when you are requesting house arrest instead of jail time.
Are You Eligible for House Arrest?
A request for home detention is only granted if you meet all eligibility requirements. House arrest is typically used for first-time offenders of non-violent crimes such as first offense DUI charges. In many cases, the person must have steady employment. Depending on the court and the charges, there could be other requirements. In most cases, a defendant must serve a portion of the sentence in jail before he is allowed to enter the home detention program. An experienced Phoenix criminal defense attorney can review your case to determine if you might be a candidate for home detention in Phoenix.
Am I Allowed to Leave Home?
The judge sets the conditions of your home detention during sentencing. If you do not have a job, you may be required to remain in your home at all times during the sentence. You will not be allowed to leave your house for any reason. However, most people under house arrest are allowed to leave home to go to work or school. If the court allows you to leave home for work or school, the monitoring device will notify the service company if you deviate from the route to and from work or school. You must go directly to work or school and return home as soon as your work day or school day has ended. Any deviation from the route to and from school or work could be a violation of your home detention agreement that may result in jail time.
For DUI offenders, the court may also impose an alcohol monitoring device in addition to a GPS ankle monitor. The alcohol monitoring device can detect alcohol in your system. If you drink any alcohol during your house arrest, you may be required to serve the remainder of your sentence in jail and face other penalties.
Why Does the Court Use House Arrest?
Home detention can save government agencies thousands of dollars in costs for convicted offenders. Because an offender must pay the cost of monitoring, many courts have adopted home detention as an acceptable alternative to incarceration for many non-violent crimes. In many cases, courts contract with monitoring services to ensure an offender does not leave home except as permitted by the court order. Therefore, the court saves money by passing the fees for the service to the offender.
Do You Have Questions About Home Detention in Phoenix?
If you are facing a criminal charge in Phoenix, you may be eligible for house arrest. Our Phoenix criminal defense attorney has experience handling these types of cases and can help you prepare a compelling argument why you should be allowed to serve your sentence at home instead of in jail. Call us today to speak with a criminal defense attorney about your situation.