Principal Investigator: Susan Turner, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
Since June 2005, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) has made increasing use of GPS technology to enhance the supervision of high-risk parolees. As CDCR has deepened its understanding of GPS technology, a number of questions regarding the optimal configuration of the department’s GPS technology package have arisen. Of particular concern to CDCR is the question of whether a two-piece GPS unit has the potential to be more reliable and easier to use than the one-piece units they are currently utilizing.
In order to answer this question, CDCR initiated a 60-day field test of two-piece GPS units to explore their advantages and disadvantages. The Center for Evidence-Based Corrections conducted process and outcome analyses of the field test. This involved interviews with parole agents who were utilizing the two-piece units, as well as their supervisors, and analysis of data provided by the participating vendors on unit performance measures such as battery life and instances of losing GPS signal.
A copy of the report can be found at: Report of the Results of the CDCR Two-Piece GPS System Field Test