Most of a nation on probation? (GPS convicts)

[Aimee Farr]

> On Thu, 5 Jul 2001, Aimee Farr wrote:
>
> >Tim's comment about facial recognition ("Smart CCTV" on the
> signage) being a
> >social mindgame does bring to mind predictions of a surveillance caste
> >system and real-space criminal "blocks" or enclaves (i.e. Escape From New
> >York). "We're watching you" = "Don't come here," pragmatically forcing
> >undesirables outside legitimate transactional and social systems.

Bear wrote:

> Right.  Between all the "offender databases" and "surveillance
> for your (cough) protection" and so on, anyone who's got a
> record winds up so completely frozen out of normal society that
> it becomes impossible for them to get by without continuing as
> a part of criminal society.

Some of Florida's convicted criminals are under constant
supervision without being housed in prisons, thanks to the use of
Global Positioning System (GPS). The system, which is currently
monitoring 600 convicts in Florida, uses a satellite, and can be
programmed to alert authorities when a sex offender, for
instance, is going near a schoolyard. GPS tracking is more
effective than the old electronic monitoring system, which many
states still employ. The new technology can locate the offender
from room to room within a house, or on a street corner. However,
probation officers will still have to physically check on persons
who are on the program, which lasts about two years. The new
system costs $9.17 per day, compared to $50 a day for an state
prison-housed inmate, or $3 per day for conventional electronic
monitoring. (www.sunsentinel.com) Source: NLECTC Law Enforcement
& Corrections Technology News Summary