The December 19, 1997 Act no. 97-1159 set up a new alternative to prison, electronic monitoring (EM, more familiarly known in France as the "bracelet électronique"). Since the technicalities of this measure are relatively complex and entail major changes in the work habits of the enforcement agencies, the executive office of the Corrections Department (Direction de l’Administration Pénitentiaire, or DAP) wished to test the new set-up on four pilot sites before extending it gradually to all French courts. The CESDIP was asked to evaluate the set-up, in collaboration with the DAP services.