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Comment by sandworm101 | Hacker News Reader

But gps trackers, paid by the defendant, will then become just another bail bond: rich people buying their way out of jail. Then all the evils are back (corporations wanting more people arrested etc). If we are going to rely on gps it needs to be free, or even state-owned.

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>But gps trackers, paid by the defendant, will then become just another bail bond

Why do you think a gps tracker would be that expensive? And why do you think a defendant would have to foot the entire bill? It's not like they are a one-time use piece of equipment.

Because that is how they are deployed today. Look up how much they cost.

You're the one saying they cost an astronomical amount that would preclude poor people from affording them, but that seems refutable by the fact that GPS trackers are commercially available for truck fleets[0] as well as tracking pets[1]. I see nothing over 200 dollars. So show some sources if you really think GPS trackers would be prohibitively expensive as currently deployed.

[0]https://www.gpsinsight.com/gps-tracking-benefits/what-is-the...

[1]https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/354245/the-best-pet-trackers-a...

No. Look up how much ankle bracelets cost for people out on bail in the real world today. This is not a free market. People are not pets. There are also incidental costs for things like equipment deposits and expert opinion letters.

http://www.recoveryscience.ca/criminal-court-programs/pricin...

Ankle bracelet monitoring costs 4 to 6 thousand dollars per year. Poor people cannot afford that, makinging it little different than the previous bail system.

Or 15$/day from this company. 15 is the minimun "on a sliding scale" dependant on defendant income.

http://www.judicialoptions.com/inmatecost.html

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