Project Description

The Ministry of National Security has embarked upon a pilot Electronic Monitoring (EM) Programme for key stakeholders including: the Justice System, Her Majesty’s Prisons, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Rehabilitative Welfare Services and the Electronic Monitoring Centre and Electronic Monitoring Unit.

The Electronic Monitoring (EM) project is a turnkey solution with global positioning systems and other technologies embedded for the purpose of tracking offenders. The system allows data on offenders to be collected from a distance; and, pinpoints the exact geographic location of an offender at a particular time.

Project Objectives

The programme forms a part of the Government’s overall strategy to increase efficiency in the criminal justice system; to improve the current system of pre-trial and post-trial supervision and to monitor low risk offenders. Its objectives include:

1. To promote public safety through the use of advanced technologies to effectively monitor and supervise offenders and reduce jail over-crowding at Her Majesty’s Prison.
2. To provide for a more stable re-entry process into society for offenders.

Project Status

• The Ministry of National Security has, through a competitive bidding process, contracted ICS of The Bahamas Co., Ltd, Secure Alert Inc. (ISA), a Utah Corporation, and International Surveillance Services Corporation (ISS) to provide the electronic monitoring equipment and monitoring services.
• The Ministry, on behalf of the Government of The Bahamas, and ICS and ISA entered into a contract on 19 November, 2010 for the introduction of the Electronic Monitoring Project pilot programme.
• The Government of The Bahamas at present uses the electronic monitoring system as an effective alternative to placing offenders on Remand at Her Majesty’s Prison, while awaiting trial.  
• This alternative programme is earmarked for non-violent and youthful criminals, who are neither flight risks or pose endangerment to society.
• The overall status of the electronic monitoring system is being reviewed, to determine how best to enhance the system to bring about keener surveillance among this group of offenders.   

Project Requirements

• ICS has to install the electronic tagging equipment under the direct supervision of Government Officers, who will be required to familiarize themselves with the equipment in order to enforce the rules as required.
• The electronic monitoring device records offender movement throughout the community and reports those movements to a host computer located in the electronic monitoring centre.
• The EM Centre’s staff, which comprises authorized personnel from ICS, ISA, the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Her Majesty’s Prison, will monitor and track the movement of offenders enrolled in the EM Program in a 24 hour, seven days per week operation.
• The Minister of National Security is responsible for the appointment of an Electronic Monitoring Administrator to be responsible for the Electronic Monitoring of daily operations.

For more information please contact:

Ministry of National Security
Churchill Building
Rawson Square, Bay Street
P.O. Box N-3217
Nassau, New Providence
The Bahamas

Tel. (242) 502-3300: (242) 356-6801/2/3; (242) 356-4400
Fax. (242) 356-6087
Opening Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except on Public Holidays