Big Changes Coming to Cook County’s Electronic Monitoring System

CHICAGO — Significant changes are on the horizon for Cook County’s electronic monitoring system, which is responsible for overseeing criminal defendants awaiting trial. The operation of the program will soon transition from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office to the office of Chief Judge Timothy Evans.

Chief Judge Evans’ office already oversees two electronic monitoring systems—one for monitoring daily curfews and another dedicated to protecting domestic violence victims. With the approval of Cook County’s 2025 budget, the responsibility of tracking criminal defendants on house arrest will now fall under the jurisdiction of the courts.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has long advocated for transferring the electronic monitoring program from his office to the courts. Dart has expressed concerns about violent criminals being placed on electronic monitoring, individuals he believes should be held in custody rather than being monitored with ankle bracelets designed for low-level offenders.

According to Dart’s office, this move aligns Cook County with national standards. Currently, Cook County is the only sheriff’s office in the country operating a pre-trial electronic monitoring program, as per a spokesperson for Dart.

The transition timeline indicates that the sheriff’s office will cease accepting new electronic monitoring participants by April 1. After this date, all new electronic monitoring placements will be managed by a court-operated system.

Despite the shift, Dart’s office will continue to monitor existing participants in the sheriff’s program until their criminal cases are resolved or until a judge authorizes their release from electronic monitoring.

Shifting the county’s house arrest program to the courts will also have implications for access to information. Documents and records related to the court’s program will no longer be subject to release under the state’s Freedom of Information Act, as the judicial branch is exempt. Interested parties, including citizens, journalists, and researchers, will only receive information about the court program if approved for release by the chief judge.

Ongoing discussions between the sheriff’s office, Evans’ office, and other officials are focused on ensuring a smooth and secure transition starting on April 1, according to the sheriff’s spokesperson.

In a potential preview of future developments, Chief Judge Evans mentioned in a 2022 address to the Union League Club that he would prefer to avoid electronic monitoring altogether, believing therapy to be a more effective solution.

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