Lithuania uses electronic ankle tags to monitor supervised people

Electronic ankle tags allow authorities to monitor remotely whether supervised people comply with conditions imposed on them, LRT reported. Romas Ostanavičius, head of the Lithuanian Probation Service, explained how the devices work on the LRT television programme Laba diena, Lietuva.

More than 14,000 people are currently under the supervision of the probation service. More than 700 of them wear electronic monitoring devices.

Three institutions can order the use of an ankle tag in Lithuania: the police, the Prison Service and the Probation Service. The police can impose the measure as a pretrial restriction, while the Prison Service and the Probation Service use it for convicted people, Ostanavičius said.

This year, the authorities acquired a GPS-enabled ankle tag that allows a person to be monitored around the clock. The Probation Service’s electronic monitoring centre observes people continuously when their location, behaviour and movements need to be monitored. The device is worn on the leg.

People subject only to temporary restrictions can be given a radio-frequency device linked to a unit installed in their home. For example, a court may order a person to remain at home from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., unless they are working or studying. The person is not monitored continuously. When they return home, the ankle tag connects to the home unit, allowing the monitoring centre to confirm that they are complying with the order.

An officer can also call the home unit and speak to the person if questions arise or there appear to be technical problems.

Before an ankle tag is fitted, the supervised person is informed of strict rules. Officials draw up a schedule specifying where the person must be at particular times and explain the liability for failing to follow it.

If staff detect a technical problem or a possible violation, they try to contact the person by phone to find out what happened. They may instruct the person to return to the place where they are required to be or to stay away from a prohibited location.

The strictest consequence for a violation is returning the supervised person to a prison. The probation service can also apply other special and more severe measures, Ostanavičius said.

He said that removing an ankle tag without authorisation is difficult. The devices contain metal components, and an attempt to cut or remove one sends a signal to the monitoring centre, whose staff respond immediately. The centre receives up to 50 such alerts a day, he said.