Each test lasted six months, with both the equipment and monitoring provided by private companies. The project involved active, continuous monitoring of a total of 50 individuals through the use of an ankle bracelet, a receiver-dialer connected to a telephone line, and a central computer that received and stored the data. Results indicated that three issues need to be considered in planning future initiatives in electronic monitoring: (1) the risk of increased domestic friction, particularly when a defendant is unemployed; (2) the importance of involving the probation department in a counseling and information-gathering role; and (3) improving the design of the transmitter to reduce both visibility and discomfort. Results also showed a high violation rate, although electronic monitoring permits a much higher detection rate than other method. Finally, experience in North America suggests that electronic monitoring is more appropriate for convicted offenders than pretrial defendants. 2 references