This paper covers the electronic monitoring(EM) of young offenders for purposes of extending night-time curfew and automated voice recognition supervision program for young offenders. The major goal of the current study is to find potential applications and advantages of utilizing home confinement or global positioning systems(GPS) EM in supervising and managing young offenders. Furthermore, this study aims at suggesting policy implications in implementing the EM program toward young offenders. The main legislative and practical strategies which will allow for the GPS EM of young people are as follows.
First, an extension of the conditional probation with curfew is to apply innovative technologies in monitoring the curfew and to track offenders for 24-hours in the community-that is, to initiate GPS EM program using satellite device as an additional probation conditions. Night-time curfew where the conditions include staying home at a particular address from 10:00 P.M to 6:00 A.M. has been in use in South Korea. However, it would appear that the simple night-time curfew is not effective sufficient to prevent high risk young offenders from committing crime. The GPS EM may verify effective at improving public safety by tracking young offenders in real-time base.
Second, electronic supervision technologies can be employed as a conditional bail with curfew for young offenders. If young offenders are released on bail, practitioners such as police, prosecutors, or judges in juvenile criminal justice system may require to attach conditions to guarantee that the young suspect does not present a bail risk. Due to the fact that the presumption of innocence is critical to our juvenile criminal system, electronically monitored curfew as a condition of bail is strongly needed.
Third, electronic monitoring by using GPS device can be an alternative to short-term custody or fine toward young offenders. Controversies for some sanctions such as the short-term custody and fine of young offenders might be due, at least in part, to unclear outcomes of the punishments because the temporary incarceration and heavy fine do not consider root causes of crime and change of problematic behavior by tracking the young offenders in the community.
Electronic monitoring by using satellite and communication technologies are still in the somewhat initial evaluation stage. However, this new application strategies of electronic supervision will illustrate more effective ways in which electronic technologies can enhance the supervision for young offenders in the community as well as maximize the opportunities for treatment and rehabilitation.