Should low risk prisoners be put under electronic surveillance rather than kept in prison?

The law is the law, don't do the crime if you don't want to do the time.

Absolutely. Putting someone in prison for shoplifting or pot smoking doesn't make sense economically and is unlikely to be rehabilitative.

yes and it depends on the crime and previous criminal history

no because everyone who breaks the law should due their time in prison.

I don't have a problem with house arrest, but the resources have to be there for monitoring. It isn't free but it's much cheaper than providing room and board. I think house arrest should be just that -- not out of the house.

They've been doing that for years with "house arrest" and ankle monitors, etc...

Meh I think our prison and justice systems definately need a major overhaul, more so on the state level than the federal level. theres a lot of problems with it but it is there for a reason, and I can say that never having been to jail is great, and I dont ever want to go there. Showing a person what they are in for if the keep a particular behavior up is a good way to deter them. so I think "low risk" prisoners should be in jail, maybe even spend more time there, but then again that will raise cost and likely cause more problems than it will theoretically solve so... What were we talking about again?

maybe after several test have been conducted and its only at the end of the tenure (period)