If you’ve committed a crime and there is a wealth of evidence against you, then home confinement may be a better option than going to prison. At Law Office of Michael L. Fell we sometimes recommend plea deals that include home confinement as an alternative to incarceration but we want to make sure our clients always know that it may be harder than they think. Read on to learn more and then contact us at (949) 585-9055 for your free case evaluation.

Not everyone is eligible for home confinement

In the state of California, there are many criteria that must be met for a judge to approve home confinement. First and most importantly, you must have been arrested for a nonviolent offense, such as money laundering. Second, your sentence must have only included county jail and not prison, your residence must be in or very close to the county you were sentenced in, and you must have a compatible phone in your home.

If home confinement is approved, then you’ll have to agree to the terms and conditions and you’ll be expected to pay for house arrest. That amount you pay is set by the courts and based on your financial situation.

There are advantages to home confinement

Of course, the biggest advantage to home confinement is that you’re in your home instead of jail. For the state, it’s also more affordable because they don’t have to pay to keep you in jail. You may also be able to keep working or going to school if the judge allows it. Your friends and family can visit you – though the judge does have the right to forbid you from associating with specific people as a house arrest condition.

You may also be able to attend court-ordered programs at the same time you’re serving your sentence. For example, if you were convicted of a drug crime and were given the option of home confinement, you may be able to complete drug counseling while technically still serving your sentence.

There are disadvantages to home confinement

For most people, home confinement is much better than being in jail, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. There are exceptions, but for the most part you should expect that you’ll have to stay home all night every night and during certain hours during the day. This could prevent you from doing even the simplest tasks, like walking to the curb to get the mail.

Another issue is that it can be costly. It all depends on your income, but it could cost as much as $15 per day – which can come out to as much as $465 a month. You also don’t get off for good behavior, which means if you agree to 364 days of home confinement you will serve it all.

If you’ve been convicted, or charged, with a non-violent offense and you want to learn more about your options to serve your sentence via home confinement then Law Office of Michael L. Fell urges you to call us right away at (949) 585-9055 for a free case evaluation.