As the world of corrections progress to meet the needs and whishes of modern day society, advances in technology becomes a major role in how the parole system moves forward. The possibilities of improved public safety in parole practices have the chance to become reality, but perhaps at a price to civil liberties for the law-abiding citizen. In the article "Technocorrections": The Promises, the Uncertain Threats (Fabelo 2000), the author contrasts the advantages of technological breakthroughs to the potential burdens on American society. The three main areas of advancement in this article are: electronic tracing and location systems, pharmacological treatments, and genetic and neurobiologic risk assessments.
Electronic tracing and location systems are the most easily attainable technologies of the three. The presumption is that parolees can be fitted with a type of electronic "homing beacon" that will enable parole officer or law enforcement official to know the exact whereabouts of the individual at any given time, and can permit a correctional officer to define a geographic area to limit the person to.
Law, Ruth
US correctional population timeline-zh-hant
US correctional population timeline-zh-hansThe possibilities on how this device could someday be used are almost endless. Video cameras can be integrated, and proximity alarms could be placed in areas deemed as high risk (such as schools for a sex offender).
Pharmacological treatments have made dramatic advances in recent years in the form of "wonder" drugs. Many of these drugs are being used today to treat mentally ill offenders by controlling biological chemicals in specific regions of the brain. Further research could lead to the development of drugs to control neurobiologic processes.Genetic and neurobiologic risk assessments have been moving forward in modern studies. It is believed by many that it is possible to predict criminal behavior in a person through genetic or neurobiologec profiling, and prevent that person from...