Beginning January 1, 2024, present law generally provides that a prisoner of a county workhouse or jail who is released from custody on work release or otherwise allowed to leave the grounds of the county workhouse or jail for employment or to perform work in the community, whether the work is paid or unpaid, must use an electronic monitoring device at all times when the prisoner is not on the grounds of the county workhouse or jail. The entity employing the prisoner or utilizing the prisoner for work must pay the costs of the electronic monitoring device. However, the requirement to use an electronic monitoring device does not apply if the prisoner, at all times while not on the grounds of the county workhouse or jail (i) is supervised by an armed law enforcement or corrections officer and (ii) remains in the direct eyesight of such officer.
This bill adds an additional exception to the requirement to use an electronic monitoring device if the judge of the sentencing court and the sheriff of the county where the workhouse or jail is located approve in writing an exemption to allow the prisoner to be released from custody on work release or otherwise be allowed to leave the grounds of the county workhouse or jail for employment or to perform work in the community without an electronic monitoring device.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 41-2-152