Cook County’s Chief Circuit Judge Timothy Evans and the Sherriff Tom Dart are arguing over who should decide what detained criminals should be released with electronic home monitoring devices.

Evans argues that the federal Duran decree gives the Sheriff’s department the responsibility of deciding which inmates get to home home on electronic surveillance, while awaiting their trial.

If the sheriff did start releasing the estimated defendants who are elegible for home electronic monitoring, estimated at 1,000 daily, the savings would add up to $23 million annually, because the daily costs of keeping a person on electronic surveillance devices is  $35.24, and it costs $100 per day to keep them in jail.

Dart argues that the judges are the ones who have the qualifications to decide who gets to go home and who is too much of a risk to be released.  He adds that having his staff make those decisions could put the residents in danger.

The number of defendants on electronic surveillance has dropped steadily, reaching its highest point at 1,500 then decreasing to 406 during the first half of the year.  Today, the number is estimated at less than 300.

Click link below: “Chicago Tribune” to read the article.

Electronic monitoring battle a costly one

Dart and Evans at odds over decisions on defendants

By Hal Dardick | Chicago Tribune reporter

August 22, 2008