North Dakota approves expanded GPS monitoring for residents in transitional facilities
Bismarck, North Dakota – The North Dakota Emergency Commission has approved new funding aimed at strengthening supervision and improving public safety for individuals placed in transitional facilities across the state. The six-member commission, chaired by Governor Kelly Armstrong, voted unanimously to expand the use of GPS monitoring bracelets so that all residents in transitional facilities can be supervised in real time.
The North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation requested $105,000 to support the expanded monitoring program for the remainder of the current biennium, which ends June 30, 2027. The funding will allow the department to extend GPS monitoring beyond inmates already under its supervision to include individuals placed in transitional facilities by external authorities such as courts and the parole board.
Expanded monitoring to enhance supervision
The department first implemented GPS monitoring in October 2025 for approximately 300 individuals on inmate status in transitional facilities. That initial rollout cost $568,000 and was absorbed within the department’s existing budget. The move addressed lawmakers’ concerns about accountability, supervision, and community safety.
With the newly approved contingency funds, GPS monitoring will now be required for additional individuals placed in transitional facilities, including those on work release and those supervised through probation and parole placements. The department estimates an average of 122 individuals in these categories will require monitoring.
Governor Armstrong said the expansion will deliver long-term benefits for both communities and taxpayers.
“This change will make our communities safer and save taxpayers’ money in the long run by reducing recidivism and incarceration costs and avoiding the need to build more jails and prisons,” Armstrong said.
Early results show promise
Department officials report that the technology is already showing positive results. DOCR Director Colby Braun said GPS monitoring enables real-time supervision, confirms individuals remain at approved locations, and allows officers to respond quickly to unauthorized movements or attempts to abscond.
Braun noted that without GPS monitoring, many individuals — especially those in probation diversion programs — might otherwise be sent to prison or housed in county jails, which are costly and often overcrowded. North Dakota’s correctional system currently houses more than 430 sentenced individuals in county jails due to limited prison capacity.
“With GPS monitoring, we are enhancing supervision and accountability, responding directly to legislative concerns raised last session, and strengthening community and victim safety while preserving access to work and treatment opportunities,” Braun said.
The Emergency Commission includes the governor as chair, along with the secretary of state, House and Senate majority leaders, and the chairs of the House and Senate appropriations committees.
Before the funding becomes final, it must also receive approval from the Legislature’s Budget Section, which is scheduled to meet March 18. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation expects to request ongoing legislative funding in the next biennium to sustain GPS monitoring for all transitional facility residents and work release participants.
Officials say the expansion represents a balance between accountability and rehabilitation, allowing individuals to remain in structured environments while maintaining employment and treatment access — all while improving safety for North Dakota communities.
