Missouri lawmakers asked to approve more use of electronic shackles

Missouri lawmakers could save the state some money and still keep communities safe, if they would approve a bill allowing more use of electronic monitoring or shackling for people convicted of some nonviolent crimes.

"It costs much less to keep somebody on home arrest than it does to incarcerate them in our Department of Corrections," freshman Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, told members of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday afternoon.