The cost of jails can be a heavy burden for a county to bare, but luckily there are options within the legal system, such as home incarceration to help offset that cost.

Home incarceration is when a convicted criminal serves their sentence time at home instead of jail. People on home incarceration are subject to search and seizure and random drug testing.

They also have to wear an electronic ankle bracelet that monitors movement and alerts law enforcement if the house arrest is violated.

This type of sentence can be a cost-effective way of punishing criminals, because the criminals are responsible for the costs.

Raleigh County Sheriff, Scott VanMeter, said each inmate costs the county about $50 per day, so with the 70 people they have in home incarceration, they are saving the taxpayers about $3,500 everyday.

“If we can save the county money and still properly monitor these people for the safety of the citizens then we’ve done our job,” VanMeter said.

Home incarceration is typically only considered for first offenders, non-violent offenders, juvenile offenders, and those with a strong employment history. A judge can either sentence you to home incarceration or put you on home incarceration while you await sentencing.