Electronically monitored punishment

Offenders can be supervised in the community through electronic monitoring (EM) while awaiting trial on bail, completing a community sentence, or after leaving prison. Systems range from voice verification and GPS satellite tracking to radio frequency devices, the last of which is by far the most common way of enforcing house arrest. The practice began in the United States in the 1980s and has since reached more than 30 countries.

This book traces how EM has developed in several nations, showing the varied ways it has been put to use and the contested politics that surround it. Its origins were shaped by a techno-utopian belief that the technology could transform punishment, a belief that has persisted even though EM has proved far less able to bring about such change than its supporters expected. Dedicated chapters examine privatisation, evaluation, the experiences of offenders, and ethical questions.

The author's normative preference is for the Swedish model, yet he concedes that this approach may not shape EM's future. If the technology expands without restraint, driven by commercial interests, the consequences for criminal justice could be deeply troubling. Research on EM's effects is inconclusive and scattered, and the field remains weakly theorised both empirically and ethically. The book is intended for academics, policymakers and practitioners who need the conceptual tools to understand the difficulties EM raises and to respond to them.