Public Radio East serves Eastern North Carolina by providing news, fine arts, and informational programming that challenges, stimulates, educates, and entertains an intellectually curious audience.

© 2026 Public Radio East

Public Radio East
800 College Court
New Bern, NC 28562

EIN 56-1802728
Public Radio For Eastern North Carolina 89.3 WTEB New Bern 88.5 WZNB New Bern 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach 90.3 WKNS Kinston 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
US

The Evolution of Electronic Monitoring Devices

In this photo from the mid-1960s, Kirk Gable, a co-founder of the electronic monitoring belt, uses war surplus missile-tracking equipment to track young adult offenders who are wearing the first electronic monitoring devices. (Robert Gable via NPR)
In this photo from the mid-1960s, Kirk Gable, a co-founder of the electronic monitoring belt, uses war surplus missile-tracking equipment to track young adult offenders who are wearing the first electronic monitoring devices. (Robert Gable via NPR)

One of the most common fees in the criminal justice system is a charge for electronic ankle bracelets – a device that is largely used to allow offenders to serve time at home instead of in jail. The monitor tracks the offenders’ whereabouts, and alerts the police if they aren’t where they’re supposed to be.

However, the original purpose behind these devices was vastly different.

NPR’s Emma Anderson discusses the evolution of the electronic ankle bracelet as part of an NPR investigation into how fees are creating inequities in the criminal justice system.

Reporter

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

US