Abstract

Electronic Monitoring

Summary

The main reason for bringing up the idea of electronic monitoring program is not only the bill submitted by a group of members of parliament, but also its advantages for offenders and the society.

The concept of electronic monitoring of offenders, first conceived by an American psychologist, Dr. Robert Schweitzgebel in the 1960s, has been developed and implemented in many countries (USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden and Holland.) Programs based on electronic monitoring provide offenders with a more human contact and give opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration. Electronic monitoring can be used on a number of offenders and suspect groups and situations, including pre-trial defendants, defendants on a conditional release and convicts on probation, parole or house arrest. Electronic monitoring also seems to be an efficient way to keep the budgets under control.

The article presents the main problems connected with the idea of electronic monitoring, such as: technical and criminological aspects, aspects related to human rights - the right to privacy, the right to equality - influence on the offender’s family, chances to avoid negative consequences of incarceration. It is certain that bringing electronic monitoring program into effect in Poland should be preceded by a thorough analysis of programs already introduced in other countries - that is why the article tries to compare and contrast programs effective in some of the countries (United Kingdom, Germany, United States, Australia). Furthermore the article presents opinions on the electronic monitoring expressed by Polish probation officers and penal judges as well as their hopes and anxieties.