Central Coast News
With AB 109 prison realignment in California, county probation departments are exploring alternatives to incarceration. In Santa Barbara County, the probation department is utilizing these GPS tracking devices to track the location of parolees and ensure curfew compliance. The parolee wears the device around his or her ankle, and the parole officer can view a map that shows where the parolee is at all times and tracks how fast he or she is moving. If the parolee leaves a designated area, supervising officers receive alerts. Dean Farrah, Santa Barbara County probation manager, said GPS tracking is a necessary tool for monitoring both realignment cases and standard probation cases.