A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING IN CORRECTIONS |
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| Authors: | Todd R. Clear |
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| Affiliation: | TODD CLEAR is Associate Professor in the School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University. His major interests are correctional policy, especially as it concerns use of community-based sanctions. He is coauthor of Controlling the Offender in the Community, American Corrections;, and has written numerous articles in sentencing reform, probation, parole and correctional policy/practice. |
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| Abstract: | Electronic monitoring is a recent advance in information gathering for correctional program administration. To be effective in achieving correctional goals, electronic monitors must be applied to offenders when there is some risk of performance problem. Advocates of electronic monitoring argue they can promote public safety, save tax dollars, and enhance correctional performance. Because corrections systems find it so difficult to innovate with offenders who represent a risk to society, these claims are overstated. Electronic monitoring raises short-term concerns concerning damage to correctional program credibility and long-term concerns about the enhancement of social control. |
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