Pretrial Electronic Monitoring in Los Angeles County

The increasing reliance on pretrial electronic monitoring (EM) in Los Angeles County raises concerns about racial disparities, infringement on personal freedoms, and the lack of proven benefits. Black and Latinx individuals are disproportionately subjected to EM, with restrictive conditions that disrupt employment, education, and family life, often leading to re-incarceration for technical violations rather than new offenses. The county should evaluate EM's fairness and effectiveness, prioritize less punitive alternatives, and shift toward community-based, needs-driven pretrial services to promote justice and equity without expanding surveillance.