Prisons are Getting Closed due to Falling Crime rates! Electronic Ankle Monitoring System is an Amazing Out of Box Idea! A Journey towards Repression to Rehabilitation!! Which Country is Adopting these Reforms? Read this perspective!!

Dear Friends and Students

I was presuming prisons rehabilitate most of the inmates and bring total transformation among most of the inmates. Today I read an article on crimemuseum.org. I am surprised to read a statement, “Research has consistently shown that time spent in prison does not successfully rehabilitate most inmates, and the majority of criminals return to a life of crime almost immediately”. It says, “Many argue that most prisoners will actually learn new and better ways to commit crimes while they are locked up with their fellow convicts. They can also make connections and become more deeply involved in the criminal world.”

If we analyze deep into these statements, I feel, there is some truth. The four walls and hard punishments are not providing a 100% solution in terms of criminal mindset change. Prisons may provide some temporary solution but they are giving long-term transformation.

Contradictory to this notion, Dutch prisons are closing down!! Do you know the reason? It is all due to falling crime rates in the Netherlands!! There are some law reforms as well - Judges are imposing shorter sentences. It makes criminal spends less time in jail. A few aspects like relaxed drug laws, rehabilitation over punishment, and an Electronic Ankle Monitoring System are aiding in this positive direction. An electronic ankle monitoring system allows people to re-enter the workforce!! This is a great move. We should emulate this model.

A crowd platform to track these electronic ankles can be developed. This would become a pseudo policing for all the criminals. Of course, we can always use prisons for extreme offenders and life convicts.

Right Technology can bring down the crime rate!! Ankle monitors can also record the conversations. There are GPS ankle monitors that can hear using built-in microphones. They act like eavesdrop or spy. Of course, hackers can hack these ankle chips and change the course of direction. We need to develop a fool-proof security model to beat this issue and self-powering technology to power these electronic ankles.

Few ankle monitors can detect drugs using sensors. A SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring device.) is an ankle device that tests sweat and detects whether an individual consumed alcohol or not and the level of alcohol.

The role of technology is going up the ladder. Arthur C Clarke says, “Any Sufficiently Advanced Technology Is Indistinguishable from Magic”. Technology becomes a great source for reforms!! Hoping for many more interventions and innovations for better Prison Management.

Your Well-wisher

Ravi Saripalle

Join Inspire to Innovate Storytelling Movement (i2itm.blogspot.com)

www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/famous-prisons-incarceration/rehabilitative-effects-of-imprisonment/

Source Inspiration: https://www.khaama.com/dutch-prisons-are-closing-as-falling-crime-rate-leaves-cells-empty-0423/