Anti-relationship bracelets, which aim to keep individuals accused or convicted of violent acts away from their victims, are now deployed in four new regions of the province, namely Côte-Nord, Estrie, Center -du-Quebec and Montreal.
These regions are added to those of the Capitale-Nationale, Chaudière-Appalaches, Joliette and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, which obtained the device in the spring of 2022, then to those of Lanaudière, the Laurentians, Laval and Montérégie, where the bracelet was implanted last fall. Mauricie and Outaouais, for their part, have been integrated into the project in recent weeks.
So far, 65 wristbands have been imposed in the province, it said. A judge, the Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles as well as the management of a detention facility are authorized to order the wearing of such a device.
This consists of an irremovable bracelet worn on the ankle by the accused or offender and a mobile application installed on a cell phone given to the victim or alleged victim. As soon as the wearer of the bracelet is within a certain perimeter from which the victim is located, a signal is transmitted to a monitoring center where a police intervention will be triggered.
Quebec is the first Canadian legislation to have adopted technology aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence, Public Security Minister François Bonnardel said in a press release.
” THE [bracelet] can help save lives and restore peace of mind for many women; this is why we have been redoubling our efforts since May 2022 to put it in place as quickly as possible, ”said the elected official.
According to the deployment schedule of the anti-reconciliation bracelet, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean should be the next regions to welcome the technology, next month.
Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Nord-du-Québec will follow in September.
The deployment of the bracelet at the provincial level is accompanied by an estimated bill of 41 million.
This dispatch was produced with financial assistance from the Meta Exchange and The Canadian Press for News.