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Reliant Reports Wake County Jail Crowding Pressures and Child Support Collections Being Helped by Electronic Monitoring

Reliant Management Group, Inc. (Reliant), through its operating division, Reliant Monitoring Services, has announced the Fiscal Year 2004-05 performance of the Wake County Electronic Monitoring Program, located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 70-unit program, which was contracted to Reliant in July of 2000, provides for the electronic supervision of nonviolent individuals eligible for pretrial release from jail under NC law and certain individuals being jailed for failing to pay child support. Reliant combines the use of modern electronic tracking technology, with the deployment of field staff, to help Court and Child Support officials insure program participants are in compliance with any court orders for pretrial release or payment of child support.

During the 12-month period ending June 30, 2005, the program generated 25,723 utilization days representing $1,749,164 in potential jail cost-avoidance savings. It also assisted local child support officials in collecting child support payments from individuals that would otherwise be incarcerated for long periods of time. In fact, $87,732 in previously owed child support moneys was collected from individuals simply to avoid being placed on electronic monitoring or to be removed from it.

Todd Edwards, President of Reliant, praised outstanding local support for the success of the electronic monitoring initiative in Wake County. "The outstanding annual performance of this program is truly a reflection of the ongoing commitment of local County Officials, Court Officials, and the Sheriff's Department," he said.

In commenting on the public policy importance of the initiative, Wake County Criminal Justice Planner, Lach Kincaid, said, "Electronic monitoring continues to be a critical part of our systemic efforts to insure the proper prioritization of local incarceration resources."

In terms of the program's impact on child support enforcement and collections, Wake County District Court Judge and current President of the NC Child Support Council, Kristin Ruth, said, "Our local judges use electronic monitoring on a daily basis to improve child support collections by giving chronic non-payors an opportunity to maintain employment while living at home under electronic supervision."

Citing a recent national report issued by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, which indicates a majority of individuals being detained in local jails are pretrial cases, technical violators of probation, and non-payors of child support, Edwards said, "These research findings, as well as the dramatic programmatic successes of our monitoring initiatives in Wake and New Hanover Counties, further serve to reinforce our focus on filling this growing service need."

About Reliant

Reliant Management Group, Inc., is a private company based in Raleigh, NC and the leading provider of pretrial electronic monitoring services in the Carolinas. It has two operating divisions: 1) Reliant Monitoring Services and 2) Reliant Administrative Services [providing comprehensive back-office management for providers of rehabilitation services and alternative education programming].

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