A group seeking reform in the way in which the criminal justice system handles those accused of intimate partner violence is calling for real-time ankle monitoring to prevent breaches and the potential for further violence.

Janet McNaughton of Act Now says active GPS monitoring can place virtual zones of exclusion on homes, schools and workplaces, so that alerts are sent out when a violation of conditions occurs.

She says it’s not enough to simply fit an ankle bracelet, but to monitor it in real-time. They have launched a petition calling for active ankle monitoring in this province.

McNaughton says that’s because there are specific aspects to cases involving intimate partner violence that set them apart from other types of crimes.

She says a person who is released on bail has a specific aim; to intimidate or terrorize a woman and her children.  “He knows where you live, he knows where your children go to school, he knows where all your friends and relatives live, and he’s threatened to kill you and you have no way of knowing where he is.”

That’s what makes active ankle monitoring essential says McNaughton. She says PEI, Manitoba and Quebec all have active ankle monitoring programs in place in cases involving violent relationships.

She says there was just one serious breach recorded in PEI over the more than a decade that the program has been in place. “And that was stopped because there’s a siren in the ankle monitor. It went off, and the guy ran into his car, and because they were tracking him, they were able to pick him up.  Quebec has found a 96 per cent deterrent rate in approaches to women who are in these zones of protection.”