Almost four months after the Government signed a US$150,000 deal to bring on stream electronic monitoring equipment to track the movement of repeat offenders and persons who have committed petty crimes, the project is yet to get off the ground.

In late August, former security minister, Dr Peter Phillips, inked the deal with Dilieu Technology, a Jamaican-owned company headquartered in Oakland, California. Under the agreement, the US$150,000 represents 20 per cent of the cost of the project.

The system can be used for the tracking of certain categories of offenders, including parolees and inmates who qualify for conditional release work programmes. The state-of-the-art system is used in 46 US states and in parts of Europe to monitor the movements of persons on parole or bail, sex offenders, juvenile delinquents or abusive spouses.

The technology is also used for tracking motor vehicles, and allows for 24-hour monitoring.

According to permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Gilbert Scott, the implementation of the project is being stalled by a dispute over digital maps between Dilieu and the Government.

“They asked us to supply them with maps from the National Land Agency and we said absolutely not. They have to produce their own maps,” said Scott, who could not tell when the project would get underway.

Head of the Department of Correctional Services, Major Richard Reese, pointed out that the centreline and parcel data maps are crucial to the project as most crimes were committed by repeat offenders.

“Those maps are important, they have to be sourced and imported on a database,” Reese said.

Each offender would wear an ankle bracelet and personal tracking unit, and depending on the seriousness of the crime, would have to meet special reporting requirements and restrictions.

The Department of Corrections has already constructed a monitoring station stacked with the required equipment and is ready to roll as soon as the map issue has been ironed out, Reese said.

Despite the delay, Dilieu has offered the ministry other options, but to date no move has been made to implement the pilot project which was, at the time of the signing, hailed by Phillips as important for the smooth re-entry of offenders into society and the reduction of the prison population.

The company has offered to purchase maps from another supplier and host them on a Microsoft virtual earth system or build a data base at cost price for the Government. But no word has been forthcoming as to when and if the project will be implemented.