Eligibility

• Massachusetts's guidelines give judges some discretion in sentencing an offender to home confinement. Those found guilty of violent crimes, such as murder, rape and armed robbery, are ineligible. Offenders found guilty of lesser crimes, such as larceny, stalking and unarmed robbery, are eligible if they are not repeat offenders and a judge determines they are not violent.
  
  

Electronic Monitoring

• Judges who sentence offenders to home confinement may order electronic monitoring or global positioning system tracking. Usually, offenders wear an ankle bracelet that allows law enforcement officials to monitor their movements and to ensure they remain at home.
  
  

Leaving Home

• Offenders sentenced to home confinement can leave home to work (if they have jobs), to attend medical appointments, counseling sessions or school, and to perform community service.
  
  

Program Expansion

• Massachusetts started the program to protect communities from offenders being released or paroled. In 2010, the state is looking for more ways to use house arrest, such as keeping those who are awaiting trial confined at home, in the hope of cutting the costs of running state prisons.