Being under house arrest is no walk in the park. There are a lot of rules with which an offender must comply, if a program is properly set up. If an offender complies with those rules—and typically in well-run programs we see less than one violation per offender per day—then the offender has the ability to go about and lead a relatively normal life under the constraints of the program.
The devices are relatively inconspicuous. In the case of the two-piece device, it is a real bracelet and it weighs 2.5 ounces. You actually forget it is on. You don't have to charge it. The battery lasts for a year. When the battery is about to be depleted the officer knows it and just simply changes out the unit.
This device the offender wears on his or her hip or carries it in a purse just like a BlackBerry-type device, and when they are home they place it in a charging stand.