Electronic Confinement / House Arrest For multiple DUI offenders, a great alternative to a jail term is electronic monitoring also called "House Arrest," or home detention. It involves wearing an ankle transmitter that monitors the movements of the individual at all times. If the individual goes outside of pre set zones or is not within the required zones at a given time of day or night, an alarm will automatically go off at the monitoring center. If this happens, the individual may face a probation violation and be required serve the remainder of his sentence in jail.

One of the benefits of electronic monitoring is that it allows individuals to continue working to attend school. Some of our clients have been able to travel outside their county on a daily basis for work. Time is also usually given the detainee to shop for food, pick up cleaning, and pursue other necessary chores. However, many courts are reluctant to offer this program to multiple offenders, absent compelling reasons to do so. At California Criminal Defense Center, we have had tremendous success in securing Until recently, a sentencing court could order home detention with the defendant’s consent. Currently, the Sheriff or other county correctional administrator has the authority to approve a person’s participation in lieu of jail. In practice (and under statutory mandate), the recommendation of the sentencing judge is usually given considerable deference.

Home detention programs require the defendant to pay a private company to install and monitor the electronic equipment that is used. Although the statute says that "Inability to pay all or a portion of the program fees shall not preclude participation in the program" the reality is that counties rarely have the funds to pay.

The fees for the program are typically on a sliding scale, and determined by the program after evaluating the individual’s ability to pay.

Work Furlough
Work furlough allows a person to continue working at their job during the day, but requires the person to report to a court authorized facility to sleep at night.

Work Release
The probation department will send a person to work each day at a designated place, but the person may return home to sleep in the evening.

City Jail
City Jail is also referred to as “Private Jail” or “Pay to Stay.” As its name implies, it is a private jail facility that is owned and operated by the city and is typically located in the city’s police department. City jails are generally cleaner, safer, and slightly less restrictive facilities than county jails. The benefit of city jail is that a person is released in the mornings so that they may attend work and/or school. In the evening, the person must return to the facility to sleep. Also, the daily costs can range from approximately $50-$75. Most courts are more flexible in granting this sentencing option than many of the other alternatives.

Sober Living Homes
Allows both men and women to live inside a sober living house, where all of the residents must remain sober. It usually requires participation of group meetings, counseling sessions, AA meetings, NA meetings, and other house activities.

Drug & Alcohol Treatment
In some DUI cases, courts recognize the chronic nature of an individual’s substance abuse habits. Consequently, multiple offenders are sometimes allowed to enter a treatment facility in lieu of jail or prison. There are usually harsher consequences for individuals who are granted a program but fail to successfully complete it. At California Criminal Defense Center, we have developed a profound familiarity and rapport with various programs throughout Southern California. As a result, we are always prepared with a large variety of options to present to the court on behalf of our clients.

If you would like to explore whether you are a likely candidate for any of these sentencing alternatives, please contact California Criminal Defense Center to schedule a free consultation with an experienced lawyer. Call us at 1-800-4-DUI-LAW (1-800-438-4529). You can also email us my completing the free consultation form on this page.